The Gate Traveler: From One World to Another
by AvionVadion
Summary: REWRITE When Isabella Jones gets hit by a car, she appears in front of Truth. Reminding "it" of Edward, it takes her left arm and right leg. Waking in a hospital, Mustang gets her a place to stay. Trapped here with no way home, how will she survive? Especially now that Mustang decided to make Ed and Al her bodyguards? Can she really stop Hughes death and change the outcome? OCxLING
1. From One World to Another

**Isabella- Devoted to God, God's Oath.**

**Full name= Isabella Christine Jones**

**Age- Thirteen**

**Signs- Aries Rabbit**

**Truth is ironic. Ed loses his leg that he stood on and the only family he had left. Al lost the ability to feel his mother's warmth, hence why his body was stolen, and Izumi lost some internal organs, preventing her from having children ever again. The irony for my OC's losses is shown. And for those of you who had read, "I'm trapped in FMAB! Help!" This a a rewrite of that. I will most likely not be updating daily, but I WILL do a little one shot for a certain ending, though that is more of a "WHAT IF" thing. I already have planned on who she is going to end up with. XD I will also be using the "other Half" concept I came up with for my OHSHC fanfic, "Beauty is Overrated". If you haven't read that, I suggest it. I find it amusing. XD This concept will be used a lot with future stories, just so you know. Read and review and please tell me if it's good or not. And, constructive criticism please, no flames. Those who flame will get a personal visit from Truth...**

"Oi! H-Hey, sorry, yeah, 'scuse me! Ha!" A girl about five feet weaved her way through a crowded street, which was odd since it was 7 o'clock in the morning. She was petite, with pale skin and dark brown hair. Her eyes were similar in color, but had a shade of green mixed in. Underneath her right eye, were two moles that that went in a straight line going down that looked similar to that of snake bites.

Her hair stopped just below her shoulder blades and she had messy bangs that stopped just above her eyes. She was currently wearing a plain blue T-shirt with a pair of black and blue plaid shirts, a pair of black sneakers and mismatched tan and white socks on her feet. She had a purple and black binder wrapped around her left shoulder, it resting against her right hip. She had her right hand placed on it to prevent it from flying or chocking her and on her left arm and right leg were markings in black and faded-gray sharpie.

Which was exactly the reason she had missed the bus and was chasing after it this current moment while trying to avoid bumping into people.

See, she was watching an anime called "Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood" and it had recently become one of her favorites. And, being one of her favorites, of _course _had to draw about it. Generally she drew on paper, but she was bored and drew on her left arm, as she was right-handed, and her right leg as it was the closest and less difficult to draw on. Her gray sharpie had ran out of ink, and the drawing on her leg went up to just above her knee, if not a little higher. Her arm however went all the way up to her shoulder.

She draws a lot, sue her! _Damn it, damn it, damn it! _She screamed in her head, nearly tripping over herself in an effort to avoid getting slammed into. "Stop driving away from me already, damn it!" She ignored all the tall people in the crowd, being so short and irritated when she got made fun of for her height-which happens a _lot _believe or not, and screamed as she arched her back forwards, barely missing a kid running and slamming into her abdomen. Inhaling deeply, she let out a breathe of relief, pausing in her momentary running.

A random thought crossed her mind, forgetting about the bus momentarily, _I swear to God, if that chick calls me robot-girl again because of my arm I'm gonna punch something...Wait! Hold on-_She screamed and slapped herself in the forehead, cursing loudly before breaking it into the street, "STOOOOP!"

In the windows of Bus #13 she could just barely make out kids pointing and laughing at her from the back of the bus.

"Jerks! I hate you!" She screamed, raising an arm in the air as she waved her fist around threateningly, "COME BACK HERE BEFORE I TEAR YOU APART!" She attempted to run faster, her legs and ribs aching painfully from all the running. She ran a lot, despite the fact that she wasn't very fit, nor did she ever go out in the sun except for Marching Band at the Middle School and for parades. She doesn't even _like _running, yet she does it anyway. Picking up her pace, she frowned in confusion at the teenagers screaming through the window and pointing at her-no, _behind _her.

That was when she realized-Sometime while running on the sidewalk, she must have accidentally run onto the street...Turning her head to look behind her, fear written clearly on her face as horror struck through her body, she didn't have time to blink a green pick-up truck slammed right into her. She couldn't even let out a scream, a small tiny little scream. As the truck had hit her, her mouth had opened to scream, but she was harshly cut off before she felt bones cracking and the color of red filled her vision.

* * *

_"Awake yet?" _A voice asked and the girl groaned, fingers twitching. She was laying on her side, her left leg twisted awkwardly while her right arm was sprawled out to her side, covered in markings and crimson but perfectly fine. _"Wakey-Wakey, my little guardian, I think it's time to play now." _

She hurt. _Everywhere_. What had happened again...? The girl could barely think, her mind all muddled and blank.

_"Oh, would you look at that; I think some of your ribs were broken. That **was **quite a hit you took there. Ah, so many gates, so many people, so little time!" _Maniacal laughter echoed around the room and the girl paused, groggily opening her eyes and flinching and the pain that formed. Reaching a hand up, she rubbed at her eyes and felt something warm and wet against her hand. Once she was satisfied, she made to sit up-only bite back an intense scream of pain. She couldn't even _describe _what it felt like other than _excruciating _and _unbearable_. Since when did pain like this exist!? _"Oops...Sorry, did the transition of bodies hurt? My bad~!"_

Rolling painfully onto her side, having trouble breathing as it felt like something was pressing against her chest, her eyes rolled up to look at the person who was talking to her. It hurt when she breathed in sharply-like someone was stabbing her in the side with a dagger and twisting it. Someone was forcefully _pressing _down on her chest and trying to constrict her breathing.

She couldn't believe what she saw-she _refused _to believe what she saw. That, or it was the concussion talking as she look at..._her_. Or at least, something that was trying to take the form of her.

The person was completely white, no eyes no nose, only a mouth. The _thing _stood at five feet, with a round head and broad shoulders, a straight back, and thin arms and mouse hand with finger longer than her palm. The feet were small, and the legs weren't very muscular but muscular enough to show that she ran a lot. And the A-chest... Normally, the girl would be embarrassed by the fact that the white creature was wearing practically nothing, but she was in pain and didn't really care. Besides, it's not like the white thing was flashing anyone as you could really only see the shading from underneath the chin, arms, and legs.

That person looked like Truth, from the anime she was talking about earlier, and she had the terrifying feeling that behind her was Gate. A _Gate _of Alchemy and truth that was ready to take her at any moment and rip off her limbs.

_"Ah, so you **do **live!"_ It grinned at her... _"Hm...Can't really call you a fool for coming here, but I have decided to make you one my Gate Travelers. Obviously meaning that there is more than one gate, just before ask; not like you can though!" _It laughed again, smirking at her, _"A limb for each Gate, I suppose...Ah, but decision, decisions! If I send you were I want to at a specific time, then you won't be able to do your duties correctly...But if I send you at that **beginning**, that won't be very fun either...Aha!"_ It clapped it's hands together as it came to a decision, grinning, _"I'll send you to the middle of the journey! Rewriting history is often fun, would you agree, my little "Oath"?" _

The girl was confused for a moment, breathing becoming even more shallow by the moment as she laid their on the ground with a hand on her stomach. She didn't want to risk moving her leg... In fact, she didn't want to move at all. She just wanted to close her eyes and sleep...

_"Hey, now, I haven't even showed you the "Truth" yet!" _

"Wh-Who..." The girl chocked out, it painful to even speak, "a-are you?"

It grinned at her, anything _but _friendly, _"I am God. I am One. I am All. I am all around you, and I am not. I am the World. I am Truth, but most importantly, I am **you**."_

She gained her answer and she felt fear coarse through her, causing her heart rate to pick up and beat faster, the pain increasing by the second. She wanted to scream so _badly_. Tears were streaming down her face silently as she held back a chocked sob, knowing that the pain would only increase more.

She didn't even bother to protest when the gate from behind her opened up and black tendril-like hand came out, wrapping around her and pulling her into the gate, visions of _everything _flashing through her mind. Of everything, of anything, of what was and what could be...The _truth_. Her mind felt like it was going to explode; that was how much she was learning. She couldn't feel her left leg anymore, but when pain ripped through her body was when she felt it again-being _ripped off _maliciously, like boiling water on fresh wounds that were all over your body.

She screamed.

_"Bye~! I'll talk to you later...Wow, you're personality is a strange one. Reminds me of that blonde squirt... In fact, since you two are so alike, I might as well take your arm as well...Not like you need it, anyway." _She could only scream as it laughed at her, the pain so unbearable she couldn't describe it. Her throat hurt and her chest and ribs and heart ached as a billion rocks pounded on her head...

She blacked out.

* * *

She awoke with a start, white blurring in her vision. She cringed, grunting painfully as she sat up, placing a hand against her ribcage. Her grogginess wore off quickly, replaced with awareness and alarm. All she saw was white and that was what made her panic. Looking around the room after blearily opening her eyes again, it took a minute for her vision to focus.

She was in a room with cream colored walls and brown rimming. The floors were wooden peach, and there was a window on the far side of the room, along with a desk and a few other apparently necessary things. She looked on in surprise at the I.V and looked down at her arm, where a needle was stuck in. Did she need a blood transfusion or something?

Her memory wasn't working properly, and when she realized this, she panicked. The girl quickly racked her brain for information about herself, hoping that she didn't gain amnesia.

She remembered her name, birthday, her family and friends, this morning, and the...accident, along with the white creature. She refused to believe it was Truth.

She then realized she couldn't feel her right leg _or _left arm, and without a second thought she kicked the white covers off with her left leg, staring horrified at the sight before her.

Her leg was gone, all the way up to mid-thigh it was gone. Her thigh was wrapped in bandages, covered in dried blood. Her throat was dry and her blood had ran cold, scared at the sudden turn of events. Uncertain and scared, she hesitantly turned her head to look at her left arm-_shoulder_. It too was wrapped in blood-stained bandages, as was her chest and abdomen. She also had multiple bruises and cuts lining her right arm and left leg, most likely from the car accident.

_"Enjoying yourself?" _A voice asked in her head, that sounded a _lot _like her. She froze, blood cold.

"T-Truth?" She asked, testing to see if she was one) Going insane, or two) really where she thinks she is.

_"Yes...Congratulations on being one of the few humans to switch places with your "Other Half" **and **being chosen as a Gate Traveler. You must be a rare anomaly, you know. At least, along with three others." _

Her voice was raspy as she spoke, but she didn't care; she wanted _answers_, _now. _"What the hell are you talking about? You can't be truth."

_"Ah, but I am. I am also you. And I'm also an "Angel" apparently." _

"Stop _rambling _already!" She snapped, pissed. She was scared, she was in pain, and she was so utterly _confused_. "What's going on!?" She tried to hide her fear; feeling that "Truth" could see her.

_"You died; at least, you almost did. I took you away a moment before the car could crush your skull." _She couldn't speak, she couldn't even _move_.

_Wh-What? _

Truth continued on in her head, clearly taking her silence as an opportunity to continue, "_I did you a favor, and in return, you become my puppet. Change the future. Make a better outcome; I chose you because you **knew **what was supposed to happen. What was **going **to happen, at least...till a certain point. That was where the game gets interesting." _

Game...Wait-he thinks this is a _game!? _The girl grew pissed at the white being, "You think this-this is a _game!?" _

_"I am the Puppeteer. **You **are my **puppet.**"_

"...You're fucked up, you know that, right?"

_"I am you." _

The girl didn't respond for a moment, merely sitting there while it's word, _her _words, echoed in her head.

_"You wanted this; you wanted to be part of the events this world entails. I'm merely granting your wish...So, good luck. You **will **here from me again." _

There was a few moments of silence, in which the girl went through of all the pros and cons of being here, the conversation, and came to a realization...

_I won't...Dilan and Lillian..._She thought, thinking about her older twin siblings, horror washing through her once again, _I can't-I won't see them again... _She wouldn't be able to see her mother or her brother and sister again. She won't get to see her friends. Her loved ones. She was stuck here, in a world so foreign but so _familiar_. She was stuck here with no way back...

And that was when the tears came. A sob escaped past her lips and she quickly grounded her teeth together, raising her only hand up to cover her mouth as she tried to hold back the sob, the tears streaming endlessly down her pale face, shoulders trembling. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and cried for what felt like forever, though in reality was probably only three or four minutes before she tried to hide her feelings. It was a wise decision, for just as the remainder of the tears vanished from her eyes, the door to the room opened and a man wearing a blue and yellow uniform walked in.

His hair was dark and unkempt in a casual fashion, his eyes as dark as the blackness of the darkest night. His hair fell into his dark eyes, his face clean-shaven and looking to be in early twenties. His hands donned a pair of white gloves with markings on them and the blue and yellow uniform was a dead giveaway.

The girl felt all the blood drain from her face. The man noticed her position and commented, his voice deep and smooth,

"I see you're awake."

The sarcasm dripped from her tongue before she could stop herself, "Really? I hadn't noticed." She tried not to snap, but her words came out harsh and cold anyway, "No, shit, Sherlock! What could have given you that idea!?"

The man raised his hands in an "I surrender" position and said with a smirk on his face, "Calm down; I didn't mean to offend. Now, I have some questions for you-if you don't mind answering."

"Before you start asking, can I ask one?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Where the _hell _am I and how long have I been here and what the fuck happened to my limbs?" She tried to keep calm, but she was panicking on the inside. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to see her family, decided that if he asked her what happened, she'd make up a story on the spot about her being an only child after her parents died. She was good at acting.

"Well, miss, you have been here for two weeks unconscious. We found you in an alley near Central bleeding to death and one of my men found you and brought you here to get you treatment. I was rather hoping you would be able to tell me yourself about your missing limbs," He answered smoothly, the corner of his lips turning into a frown.

"If I knew I wouldn't have asked, now would I?"

"True...How old are you and what where you doing in that alley?"

"I'm thirteen and _no_, I_ don't_ know why you found me in that alley-maybe someone attacked me and put me there; how the hell would I know!?"

"It was just a question, calm down!" The man smirked at her, "Now, what is your name?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I can easily take you and kick you out of this hospital and force the bill on you."

"...Isabella. Isabella Christine Jones."

"That's a unique name."

"Yeah, what's yours then?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang."

"As in military? Oh, great, just what I always wanted; to say "Hello" to a military officer. Can I leave now?"

"I highly doubt you'll be leaving this room anytime soon, Ms. Jones." She frowned, giving the man a dark look.

"And why's that?" He smirked at her-she was _really _starting to hate him. _Sad thing is, he was one of my favorite characters. Who knew the real thing was such a jerk? _Then again, who was she to talk?

"I'm fairly certain that you'd have a hard time getting anywhere without an arm and a leg." He then paused, commenting with a thoughtful look on his face, "You know, you remind me of someone...short."

"I am _not _short." She bit out through grounded teeth, before yelling angrily at him, "You're just tall, you got that!? It's only 'cause you're tall that I look short, so back off!"

He only smirked before he turned around and started to walk away. He opened the door, pausing to turn back to look at her again, "You'll be here for about three weeks. Once you're time here is done, you'll need to go back to your home."

She faltered at those words and Mustang noticed. A frown on his face, he questioned,

"You _do _have a home, don't you?"

She didn't want to answer, but looking down with her bangs covering her eyes, she muttered, "No...Why would I need a home?" Bitter, she lifted her head and snapped with a glare, "It's not like I have a family to go back to anymore, anyway!"

For a moment he looked surprise, before the smirk settled back onto his face again, "Is that so? You're starting to remind me more of him every second. Okay, then, I'll find you a place to stay for the time being. But, in return, you need to keep an eye on some people I know. I think I have a friend of mine that will be more than willing to take you in."

"Who?"

"His name is Maes Hughes and he's in charge of the Investigation's department. You'll know him when you see him."

* * *

Three weeks was exactly how long she had to wait, before man in a completely identical uniform to Mustang's. Appearing in his late twenties, he was tall and lean with dark spiky black hair and hazel green eyes. He also had the coming of a growing beard on his chin and on his face was huge, _beaming _smile that seemed to light up the room without even really trying.

And Isabella felt like crying. At that moment, she came to the decision that she would prevent his death-even if she died along in the process. This man...He had a wife and a four year-old daughter, possibly three years at this current time, and friends who loved and cared for him deeply, despite his obsessive antics with his daughter and wife. She couldn't let this man die; she'd kill Envy herself if she had too.

"Hello there!" He greeted brightly, "You must Isabella, I presume!?"

She paused, surprised at the bright and bubbly-ness of his personality. The anime and manga weren't even _close _at portraying this man's personality. "U-Uh, yeah..."

"Wonderful! My name is Maes Hughes! It's a pleasure to meet you! You're apparently the person who's moving in with me and my family, correct!?"

"Th-That's was Mustang said..." She just couldn't act rude to this man. It was impossible...for the most part, "And what are you so cheerful about?"

He beamed at her, grinning widely, "Well, I just thought that it would be wonderful for my daughter to have a female friend! And speaking of my _darling _Elicia," The girl jumped and leaned back against the bedframe, nearly falling because of her lack of an arm, when he whipped a picture of his wife and daughter out of his uniform jacket pocket and shoved it in her face, "Aren't they _beautiful!? _My little girl's just the _cutest_-look at her smile! _Awww! _And my wife-"

"She's so cute!" Isabella admitted, smiling slightly at the sight of the little girl's beaming smile and rosy cheeks. She looked at Gracia and had to admit that she was really pretty, "She's also really pretty." She told him, causing him to smile widely at her.

"I think we'll get along wonderfully! I have copies of this picture if you want one, just so you know!"

"Oh, uh, thanks..." She wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"No problem! Now, I think it's about time you met the family! Come on, up, up, up!" He clapped his hands, making motion for her to stand. Sighing in slight annoyance, she kicked the covers off with one leg and twisted her body around so her foot were facing the floor with her leg dangling off the bed. Hughes looked on in surprise, not expecting her to be missing not only one, but _two _limbs. "Ah, here, I'll go get you some crutches-" He paused, realizing that using crutches would be impossible with only one arm and corrected himself, "-wheelchair. Have you been thinking about getting some automail?"

She stared at him blankly, her brown eyes staring at him like he was an idiot, "Um, dude, I don't have any money."

"Well, I'll just have to lend you some then!"

"Wait, what!? No-" She shouted when Hughes suddenly grabbed her arm and despite her protests, told her,

"A youngster like you shouldn't be rolling around in a wheel chair! You should be out there running out and goofing off and having fun! I'm not going to allow a girl as young as you to be cooped up and pushed around for the rest of her life! Now, come on! Meet the family and _then _we can go get you some automail!"

He picked her up effortlessly and she shouted, clearly not liking her feet being lifted off the ground. Isabella hated heights. "H-Hey, put me down! I can walk on my own! And I don't need automail! And I can find somewhere else to stay!"

"Nonsense! You're coming with me! My family would _love _to have you!"

"Do you even _know _a good automail shop!?"

"Sure I do! According to Roy, there's one in Resembool! He didn't me much about it, but he said that the automail there is good!"

_Looks like I'm meeting Winry and Panako...Welp, I'm screwed. And-_"Put-Put me down already!"


	2. Mistaken Lies in Bonds and Truth

"Ah, Maes, who is this?" A woman with an hourglass figure and light green eyes questioned curiously. Her hair was short and blonde, framing her face. She wore a pale pink dress with a darker pink blouse on top and light blue house slippers. She was holding a little girl with darker blonde hair and hazel green eyes like Hughes. "Oh, my, are you alright?" She questioned Isabella, worry clear on her face despite not knowing the girl.

_Is it just me, or are all the main characters starting to make a fuss? _But, realizing how horrible she must have looked in hospital attire and missing limbs, she had to admit that she might've acted the same way-mentally of course. _Okay, that makes sense then. _

"This is Isabella! She's the girl Roy told us that would be living with us! She's friendly. Isabella, this is my lovely wife Gracia and my _adorable _daughter Elicia. Aren't they just the cutest!?"

Still being held awkwardly by Hughes, the girl nodded slowly, "Y-Yeah..."

Offering her a small smile, Gracia said, "Would you like some tea? I was just about to start dinner for Hughes, Elicia, and myself. It would be lovely to have a new face at the table, isn't that right?" She asked her daughter, who nodded with a smile at her mother.

"Yay! Yay! Bella staying!" She cheered, apparently taking a liking to the newcomer. Hughes set Isabella down on her foot, her holding out her only arm to catch her balance-only to nearly fall and have Hughes grab onto her quickly.

"Careful now! Here, grab my arm. I'll help walk you to the living room. You want to come with us, Elicia?" The girl beamed and wiggled out of her mother's grip, causing Gracia to place her daughter on her feet gently with a smile. She ran towards her father and the newcomer happily.

"Yay! Play, play, play!"

Isabella tried not to smile at the little girl, who was waving her hands excitedly in the air as she ran over to them. If she still had her left arm, she would've offered it to Elicia and asked if she wanted to walk together. If she had a soft spot, it would be little kids. "We can play later if you want?"

"Weally?" Elicia smiled at the girl, before running over and hugging her right leg, "Yay!"

It was safe to say that Isabella got along with the Hughes' family wonderfully. But, then again, who didn't? At the taste of Gracia's food, she almost _drooled _it was so good. Hughes laughed at her for that, but had to tell her that he agreed.

_"Gracia's cooking is the best!"_ He had said.

Gracia reminded her of her own mother, who when she thought about her she wanted to break down and cry. Isabella refused to though. She wouldn't cry. She just needed to figure out a way to get home.

Which was why she was startled on the train to Resembool when a voice rang in her head, saying, _"Enjoying yourself so far, my little "Oath"?" _

_Truth... _She thought, horrified. Hughes noticed her sudden change of expression and asked worriedly,

"Hey, you alright, Liz?" It had been about a week since she moved in with the Hughes' family, and Hughes had taken to calling her "Liz" and Elicia "Bella". Gracia had just settled on "Isabel" rather than anything else. "What's with the sad face?"

She looked up in surprise, eyes widening. She quickly stumbled, "Oh-Oh, uh, well I was just...well, Gracia reminds me of my mother and I..."

A sympathetic look appeared on Hughes face, "I see... She is quite motherly isn't she? She's only known you for a week and treats you as her own!" He let out a small chuckle, "In fact, I say you should consider yourself part of the family. You fit right in anyway."

"Huh? R-Really?" She was more than surprised and had to say that she didn't expect this, she didn't expect _any _of this really. Once morning she was just chasing after her school bus and suddenly she was sent her. What did Truth mean when she said "the transactions of bodies" and "Other Half"? Did that mean there really was another person like her out there? A doppleganger? "Th-Thanks, I think..."

"And to think we met only a week ago!" He laughed and slapped the girl on the back, causing her to jump and lurch forwards, nearly falling off of the train seat. "Haha! It's a wonder why we didn't meet earlier!"

The girl would've sweatdropped if she could-wait, did she-? Yeah, she did. Isabella sweatdropped. _That felt so weird...Oh, well. Heh... _She couldn't help it; she laughed. After a total of four weeks she laughed. "You're insane!" Pausing once she realized what she did, she awkwardly turned her head to look out the window.

Why did Truth decide to save her? That car should have smashed her head in, but instead Truth pulled her out at just the right moment and stuck her here. He said he wanted her to change the timeline. Does that mean he wanted her to save Hughes and Nina and Buccaneer? And Fu? What was she supposed to _do _exactly?

The girl looked outside-but paused at the sight of her reflection. Her heart-shaped head seemed to be emphasized in this world, and her eyes-Oh, she wanted to laugh. _I'm a Tsundere! _She thought to herself amused as found herself surprised at the rich-brown color her eyes was given. Her bangs were choppily cut and hung in her face, going from right above her eyes on the sides and falling to the bridge of her nose in the middle before growing shorter again. Her skin was pale, but she still kept the two moles underneath her right eye and the one underneath her left. Her trademarks. Her hair also stopped just below her shoulder-blades, but instead of looking nearly black, was just a chocolate brown color.

Currently the girl was wearing a plain light blue sweater with black jeans and shoes that added an inch to her height. Her hair was also in a messy braid from when she let Elicia braid it.

"Ah, look at that! We're here!" Hughes commented, snapping her out of her thoughts. The girl blinked and turned her head, seeing him stand up. Offering a hand for her to take, she grabbed it and let him pull her to her foot, helping the girl off the train. Hopping down with a little bit of difficulty, she would've fallen if Hughes wasn't there to catch her. "Careful, now! I think it's this way..."

It took about ten minutes total for them to arrive, and Isabella stared wide-eyed at the sight of the building. It was _amazing_. It was becoming even harder to believe that this was all happening to her. But, at the same time, she started to believe it more and more. It was complicated.

The door opened and they looked down to see a short elderly woman with grayed pink hair up in a bun looking up at them with a smoke pipe in her mouth.

Isabella couldn't help but comment, "You realize smoking will give you lung cancer, right?" Looking the girl up and down, the old woman replied with a stern frown,

"I'm well-aware of that fact, miss. I take it you're here for automail?"

Hughes smiled at the woman, "Yep! A few Officers found her bleeding out in an alley near Central Command and took her into the hospital. She's been living with and my family since!"

"Very well. Come on in; You may call me Panako. My granddaughter's should be down in a moment, come in." It was safe to say that she wasn't pleased to see a Military officer, but a patient was a patient no matter who they were. "Winry! We have customers!"

"Coming, grandma!" Was the girl's reply. A girl with long blonde hair tied back in a pony with side bangs that framed her face, and bright blue eyes appeared after a few moments in the doorway. She was wearing a black tube top with a beige mechanic's garb half-open and tied around her waist. She also wore a pair of brown workers gloves and a green bandanna. The second she saw Isabella though, she dropped the wrench with wide eyes, her face pale.

She looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"E-Elizabethe?" Isabella blinked, before an annoyed look formed on her face as she scowled.

"No, my name's _Isabella_. Not Elizabeth-why does everyone say Elizabeth?" She asked herself, narrowing her brown eyes.

Winry didn't seem to know how to reply, clearly frozen to the spot, "I-I..." Swallowing the lump in her throat, she tried to regain her composure as she cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, you just reminded me of someone I knew. I'm Winry Rockbell," She smiled at her and held out a glove, "Nice to meet you!"

Still scowling, Isabella took Winry's hand and shook it, "Isabella Jones, "nice" to meet you."

Winry, despite at how well Isabella may have hid it, noticed the sarcasm and once again felt the blood drain out of her face. Isabella noticed and frowned, wondering what was wrong with her. Winry apologized again, shaking her, "It's nothing, sorry, you just... are a _lot _like Elizabethe."

Not knowing how else to respond, Isabella just nodded, "Right, then. Automail?" She was already getting too close to the Hughes family-they were just too _hard _to _hate_. Something in her refused to make herself be mean to them. Her eyes widened in surprise and quickly nodded, getting back on track.

"Right! Okay, I can go show you some designs if you want to look at them and choose which one you like best, or-"

"Whatever you think will work best will me will be great." She cut in, causing Hughes to smile widely and hug Isabella.

"Look at that; she's already making friends!" Isabella's eyes widened and she cried out in protest, trying to push Hughes off with a barely noticeable embarrassed blush on her face.

"Get off!" She cried out, scowling. She gets awkward when people hug _her _and she isn't hugging _them_. Plus, she only knew Hughes a week and he was already this friendly with her. "Don't hug me!"

"Aren't you adorable!?" He rubbed his cheek against hers and she pressed her hand against his shoulder, attempting to push him off, "Just look at her! She's not even my own and I already love her to bits!"

"G-Get off before I hit you!" Quickly raising her fist, she slammed it down hard onto his head. He released her, backing up with his hands on his head, "!" She cried out as she hopped back, shouting as she nearly lost her balance and quickly regained it.

"That _hurt_, Lizzy! What was that for!?"

"For getting too close! I don't like being hugged!"

"Nonsense! Everyone loves hugs!"

"I don't!" With only one foot and arm, Hughes made sure that this time when he hugged her she wouldn't be able to push him away. He would take down that shell of hers-no child should be wearing one as strong as that a such an age. She shouldn't be pushing people away.

...

The surgery was excruciating to say the least. _But_, to say the least, which having being ran over and breaking ribs and losing two limbs..it made it a little easier to hold back her screams.

It didn't mean that she _didn't _scream, though.

"Don't worry, we're almost done."

Another scream and the biting of a lip, her fist clenched.

"Just a few more wires, Isabel."

She blacked out from the pain.

...

She woke up, panting and sweating, eyes darting around the room feverishly as sweat beaded down her pale face. Panako's face appeared in her view with a small frown on her face, saying, "We're done. You've been out for the past three hours. Now, don't expect yourself to be up and moving anytime soon. Recovery after surgery can take up to three years, so don't think that you're going to be running around in just a few minutes. We still need to make your automail, since we only applied the port."

Isabella let out a heavy sigh, hanging her head back as she closed her eyes exhaustively, "Okay...whatever..."

Winry tried to cheer her up, "You're doing good so far, though...Just a little bit longer. We'll let your ports rest for three days before attempting to attach the automail; sound good?"

"Whatever works..." Right now, the only thing Isabella wanted was to sleep.

"Hey, keep your eyes open-I'm not finished talking yet." Isabella groggily opened her eyes, staring blankly up at Panako's stern face, "Good, now, as I was saying-It takes at least three years to completely recover from automail surgery, _including _the automail being attached to your limbs. Understand?"

She nodded briefly, before thinking briefly, _Ed managed it in a year and Lan Fan in what-six months? Yeah, I like seven...Seven is a good number.. _

"I'll do it in seven," She muttered, causing Panako's eyes to widen. "Good night..."

"You'll be spitting up blood," Panako told her, amused, "and crying to yourself at night if you tried."

"I can do it!" She protested, snapping awake instantly at the idea of not being able to do something she said she would. "Just you watch...I gotta get home..."

And she had a feeling she knew just how to get there and what _time_. But that means she'll have to somehow find the Elric brothers and befriend and _somehow_, just _somehow _manage to get them to agree to let her travel with them. _  
_

Her, a girl with zero fighting experience whatsoever except for the occasional violent tendencies as the very short few self defense moves her siblings taught her, was going to have to figure out a way to let herself travel with them...

She was gonna end up dead, no doubt about it.

But she had to try...

_I might as well go down with a bang! _She thought, slowly falling back to sleep.

* * *

She awoke, and found herself lying on her side on a bed that was clearly not her own-at least, not the one the Hughes' family had lent her. Sitting up, she cringed at the pain that formed on her right thigh. She made a face at the scars that traveled all the way up to her hips, figuring that if she turned around, the scars would be touching her lower back. She appeared to be a wearing a tube top that covered her flat chest and a pair of shorts. She blinked and looked around, pausing at the outside view.

It appeared to be early morning and birds were already chirping. Squinting her eyes, the girl let a small smile grace her lips-despite the fact that she wasn't a morning person. In fact, if someone tried to wake her up before ten, she generally gave them her death glare. Well, that's blood type AB for you. Yawning she forced herself onto her one foot and reached out quickly with a hand onto the wall to keep her balance. Hopping along the room, she looked around observing.

There were pictures lining a dresser, and one in particular caught her interest.

It was of the younger Winry Rockbell and Elric brothers, with Trisha in the background. They were all smiling and laughed, but there was one thing that confused her...

Who was that girl?

There was a girl between Winry and Al, standing behind Edward and pouting childishly with her arms crossed. Her cheeks were puffed out and her bottom lip stuck out, her eyebrows were furrowed as she glared at Ed who was pointing and laughing down at her. Clearly he was making fun of her height.

Raising a hand to her hair, Isabella traced her bangs with a frown on her face, observing the photo thoughtfully.

The girl looked like her. Younger, but still her. At least in this form. Eyes widening, she whirled her head towards the door at the memory of what Winry had said and did.

The transactions of bodies... Looking like she had seen a ghost... Her "Other Half"... Does this mean that rather than the "Soul Mate" concept, there was another "her" out there? Is that what truth meant? Was her "Other Half" alive in her place?

If so, does that mean her family doesn't even know she's gone?

A pain churned in her chest, like a knife cutting against raw skin and over an already opened wound. She blinked a few times, feeling her eyes start to water.

She refused to cry.

She was knocked out of her thoughts by a knocking on a door. She turned her head and said, "Come in."

It was Winry. She said with a smile on her face, "Ah, Isabella, I came to tell you that breakfast is ready if you want any."

The brunette nodded, before her eyes drifted to the picture and asked, "Who's she?" Winry paused, frowning as he face paled slightly and her eyes watered.

"Oh, that's...That's Elizabethe. You really do look a lot like her, and I'm really sorry for mistaking you with her...It's just-" She couldn't seem to finish as the tears continued to well up in her eyes. She swallowed and shook her head, plastering a smile on her face, "Well, anyway, she was a good friend of mine. I knew her since I was little."

"And the two boys?" Isabella already knew who they were, but she'd rather hear it from Winry Rockbell herself. "The short blonde seems to be making fun of the girl for her height, while the other one is trying to break up he fighting."

Winry smiled, "That's Ed and Al. Edward is the one making fun of the girl and Alphonse is the other. Edward is shorter than _everyone_, so when someone else is shorter than him he usually tries to make fun of them as much as he can. He likes to get into fights a lot and worries everyone, the jerk. Al's really nice, though he often gets into fights along with his brother. They're complete and _total _worrywarts. I don't why I even bother with them, honestly, Edward is such a jerk."

"They're your friend, aren't they?" Isabella questioned, raising her head to look Winry dead in the eyes. Winry was surprised at the forwardness of the question, not expecting a girl as cold as her to say something like that, "If they're your friends, then it's only obvious that you'd care for them. That's just how people are...My friends are all gone and I most likely will never see them again, but even then it doesn't mean I don't stop missing and caring for them. If you're friend are gone and you still worry, you care, right? Don't question yourself about your love for them-it's how you are. It means you are a kind and caring person, don't let anyone take that away from you."

Winry looked on, her blue eyes wide in surprise. Slowly, a smile spread across her face as she said, "Yeah, I guess you're right...Come on, breakfast is getting cold. And, about Elizabethe...she...She died a few months ago."

Isabella froze, tension slowly growing in the room. Her father dying from cancer when she was young, she could relate, but even if she apologized, she knew that the pain wouldn't be any less. Instead, she lowered her head with her bangs covering her eyes and commented softly, "That's rough."

Winry was grateful that she didn't offer any fake sympathies and nodded, "Yeah...Come on."

* * *

A few more days passed and Winry and Panako finally decided to apply the automail to her stumps.

And it hurt.

Like _Hell. _

She screamed, simple as that. She could feel her dignity slip away by the second.

She _really _hated pain. Isabella also happened to be confused at the fact as to why Winry was hovering around her more than usual, and Hughes said that Winry had apparently taken a liking to her. Why Winry had, Isabella couldn't fathom. She just went with it.

"Now, don't be to rough on yourself while you try to get your limbs to move; it will take awhile for them all to function properly. And don't strain yourself either!" Winry told her, pointing a screw at her face. Isabella leaned her head back, staring cross-eyed at the wrench.

She replied, sarcastic or honest neither knew, "Wouldn't dream of it, Win."

Winry smiled at her and she stood, placing her hands on her hips, "Good. Now, I want you back here in one month for check-up maintenance, understand!? And after that, two months!"

"Yes, ma'am." Isabella mocked, giving her a two-fingered salute with her right hand, "Don't kill anyone with your wrench while I'm gone."

"Don't break my automail and you have a deal."

"Deal."

"Okay, then!" Winry smiled and clapped her hands together, "It's been wonderful meeting you, Isabella!"

"You too. And Winry, I don't mean to sound cold or anything," Isabella began, totally contradicting her personality, "but how did your friend die? My father died from Cancer when I was young, so I can relate, I'm just curious-you don't have to tell me."

"...There was a fire. Her body was never found." Isabella furrowed her eyebrows and nodded slowly,

"I see..."

The silence was broken by Hughes, who burst out into the room with a huge smile on his face, "Isabella, guess what!? Gracia is making her _famous _apple pie for us when we get back! Isn't she just the _sweetest_!?"

"Yeah...Her food is delicious." Isabella offered a small smile at the elder man, who beamed happily at her. Isabella loved food-especially those who knew how to cook. The only thing Isabella could cook was a grilled cheese-preferably with Velveeta cheese.

Winry smiled at the sight, still seeming to be unable to stop comparing the two girls together. Isabella and Elizabethe... They were exactly alike.

Grabbing onto her flesh arm, Hughes started to drag her out the door, already having paid Panako and Winry for their services. "Come on now! We can't let that pie get cold! I can hear Gracia and Elicia calling my name already!"

"Let go of me, Hughes!"

**I think I've fallen in love with my new(Old and currently rewritten) OC. XD Ha! Read and review! I'd like to know what you think so far. Are they all in character? I'm trying. For those reading "The Complicated Truth" I got most of the next chapter down, and for "Beauty is Overrated" I'm trying to figure out how to continue the middle, so I'm almost done with those two chapters. Never fret, the author is here!**


	3. Present Time is Worse than Past

**I'm crying. I'm LITERALLY crying. I cried writing the end of this chapter-Oh, my god, flashbacks. **

**Elizabeth- Oath of God, God's Satisfaction, Satisfaction of God. **

**Elizabeth Annabel Brown. **

**Blood Type- O positive. **

**Height- 5'1**

**Sign: Virgo Rabbit **

**I have decided. O.o **

It's been four months since Isabella moved in the Hughes family and she still hadn't any sign of the Elric brothers. She managed to get quite a bit control over her arm though. She could now make a fist and raised her arm up five inches. She could also limp as she walked, so that was something.

Panako wasn't kidding though when she saw that she would be coughing up blood. It wasn't even two weeks into having her automail that she ended up bleeding in the leg due to pressure. But, now, at least she was getting somewhere.

"Big sister, big sister!" Elicia cried out, running towards Isabella before tackling her in the fleshy leg. Elicia grinned up at her, "Guess what!?" Isabella smiled down at the girl and asked gently,

"What is it?"

"I'm two now! Haha!" Yeah, Isabella was _way _behind. A whole year before the Elric brothers meet the Hughes family.

"With her always following you around like that, it's almost impossible to guess that you two aren't related." Gracia commented as she walked up, smiling with an apple pie in her hands. Isabella brightened up at the sight and the words Gracia said.

"Really?" The girl blushed a little and gave a small closed-eye smile, "Thanks! I've always wanted a little sibling, to be honest. Mother," Ignoring the numb pain in her chest, she continued, "had to get a C-section with me and had to have her womb removed, so I wasn't able to get a little sibling..."

"But you have two elder siblings, right?" Over the months, after melting her wall a little, she told the Hughes family a little bit about herself.

Isabella nodded, resting a hand on Elicia's head. The girl smiled at the teen and giggled, clutching her pant's leg, "Yeah. Lillian and Dilan. Dilan's older than Lillian by four minutes. They taught me what little I need to know about fighting to defend myself. Lillian also tried to teach me how to cook but...that didn't go too well." She laughed as Gracia smiled kindly at her.

"They sound lovely, Isabel. Want to help me set the table? It's Elicia's birthday today and Hughes called some friends and their children over for a party." Isabella paused before nodding.

"Sure, I can try, at least." Looking down at Elicia, she smiled, "Why don't you run over to Daddy and play with him? I'm gonna go help Mommy with the food."

Elicia pouted for a moment, before smiling brightly and nodding, "Okay!" Releasing the girl, she stumbled towards the living room where Hughes was located. "Bye-bye!"

"Bye!" Isabella gave a small wave, smiling.

Gracia told her with a smile, noticing, "You really love children, don't you?" Isabella froze and looked at Gracia in surprise, before quickly crossing her arms and turning her head, lifting her chin up.

"Please, what gave you that idea? No way!" Gracia shook her head at the girl's antics.

"You don't have to hide anything here, Isabella. We're your family-you're like a second daughter to Hughes and me." The girl paused, the words sinking in her mind and repeating.

She looked up at her with wide, slightly hopeful eyes, "Really?" Back in her world, adults never really seemed to like her much, nor teenagers. Kids were the only people who would even try to talk to her-along with her friends that followed her throughout elementary. Gracia's green eyes softened her soul and tough persona, only kindness and sincerity showing.

"Of course. Maes would say the same thing." Offering a smile, a _true _sincere smile, the girl said,

"Thank you..." And she meant it. She meant every single syllable in that sentence. She paused for a moment, before exclaiming in alarm, "The table!" Limp/running to the kitchen, she stumbled and quickly regained her balance. She ignored the pain that formed in her right leg as she limped, knowing that if she stopped now she would never be able to finish in seven months.

Hughes had been helping her with her automail exercises, getting her to stretch at certain amount of time and a certain length. To limp this far and to attempt to walk there at this distance. It was tiring, but worth it. She was slowly beginning to get control.

Before she even knew it, the table was set and decked out with table clothes, silverware, paper plates, and cake. Wow, being here really is rubbing off on her. She's actually helping set things up and is more active.

_I never noticed... _Isabella blinked. She then sighed, letting out a small yawn.

"Tired, Liz?" She looked up to see Hughes, walking over to her and Gracia. Elicia must have been at the dining table drawing with crayons.

"No," She lied, turning her head as she crossed her arms, "Why would I be?" Grinning cheekily at her, he moved over and quickly slung an arm around her shoulder-startling her. "H-Hey!"

"Just look at her, Gracia! Isn't she adorable? Always in denial! She really is like a big sister!" He laughed and Gracia smiled again, in the middle of cutting up the pie, "You sure she isn't ours, darling?'

"I sometimes wonder. Besides, I think I'd remember giving birth to her, Maes." He laughed at her response, releasing Isabella and moving over to slink his hands around his wife's waist, kissing her on the cheek quickly with a loving smile. "Maes, I'm in the middle of cutting up the pie."

"It was just a simple peck!" He protested before smiling against her hair, inhaling her lovely scent, "I'm at work almost every day of the week, sue me if I want to spend time with my beautiful wife and children."

Isabella looked up at him in surprise, expecting him to only mention Gracia and Elicia. That was when she realized her mistake.

She grew close. _Too _close. She had made connections with these people and now cared about them, and she would most definitely end up having to make a choice in the near future.

And she knew which one she would have to make.

It hurt. It hurt just to think about it. She didn't want to leave this family, she didn't want to leave this place. But she had too.

And it was already impossible to erase what she had done.

"Big thister!" Isabella turned her head at the little girl's voice and saw the blonde run towards her with a picture in her hand, smiling widely, "Lookie at what I dwew!" Elicia stopped right in front of her, holding her drawing up with both hands proudly.

It was a drawing with four stick figures, all gathered around at a flower field. One had the little lines that symbolized a bear, while the one next to it wore a long dress. The shorter of the two figures had a small curved line to show hair tied in a pony, holding hands with the smallest of all four with two pigtails and a dress. There was a bright yellow sun in the corner.

Isabella, despite knowing that she really shouldn't have, knelt down with a smile on her, "That's great, Elicia. It's very pretty." She meant it. She could see how much effort Elicia put into the drawing and that in itself made the drawing lovely.

Elicia beamed widely at her, cheering and giggling.

...

"Lizzy, what are you doing in your room? Come on out, enjoy the party!" Hughes spoke, opening the door with a small smile, "I'm sure Elicia misses you."

"If I go out, I'm most likely to glare at every single person out there. I'm not meant for parties." Was her reply. He frowned at her curled up form on the bed, a book shoved in her face. "Sorry."

"You're holing yourself up again! Stop that!" Hughes berated childishly, waving a finger at her in a "task, task" motion. He smiled again, gentler this time, "Come on...At least try to come down and enjoy yourself. We're about to cut the cake." He quickly added as an afterthought, as if that would help, "It's chocolate." He grinned as her fingers twitched, but other than that she appeared not to hear him. He remembered back to a month ago when she had some chocolate Pocky and how she was possessive over it, "If you come down, I'll make sure to buy you some chocolate _Pocky _later."

Sighing deeply and exasperatedly, the girl put her book down-the sigh also a little dramatic. Giving the older man a look, she stated with a blank face, "If you're lying to me, keep in mind that I'll strangle you in your sleep."

He grinned and gave a salute, standing up straight, "Sir, yes, sir! You're comment has been dully noted, sir!"

Isabella was unable to keep a straight face, slowly smiling along and laughing at him as she shook her head, "You're an idiot!"

"Thanks. Now, come on shortstuff-" The mood was ruined when a dark aura surrounded Isabella. Hughes paused and looked at her curiously, What's wrong?"

"I'm. Not. _Short,_" She grounded out through gritted teeth aggravatingly before pointing dramatically at Hughes, "You're just tall! I'm still growing!" How dare he? She doesn't make fun of _his _height! It pissed her off, especially since that no matter _how _much milk she drinks, she's still stuck at the same five feet!

Hughes stared at her in surprise, before smiling and ruffling her hair. She winced and looked up at him in surprise, not expecting the sudden movement. His smile was kind and fatherly, not harmful in any way, "Yeah, I know. Come on, or no Pocky for you."

Her jaw dropped as she watched him walk away, and quickly took after shouting, "Hey! Wait for me!"

...

She was fairly certain most of the adults didn't like her. Half were avoiding conversation with her when they could and another wouldn't stop asking questions about "Who are you" and "How'd you come to know the Hughes'" and her most _favorite _of all, "Where's your family".

She sat in a chair at the table, a dark aura surrounding her as a bad mood started to take hold of her. She snapped out of her thoughts when a small hand gripped hers, causing her to look down at Elicia's worried face.

"What's wrong?" She looked at the girl in surprise, who continued with a sad frown, "You look more pwetty when you smile. Smile, big sister?"

Isabella was surprised at Elicia's kind words. Letting a small smile cross her face as her bad mood slowly started to vanish, she reached down and lifted Elicia up and set her down on her lap, "You're the true pretty one here, Elicia." She told her and a grin crossed her face as an idea popped in her mind. She quickly started to tickle Elicia's sides, causing the girl to start to giggle uncontrollably, shifting rapidly in Isabella's grip, "I got you! Haha! Beware the tickle monster, Elicia!"

"Nooo!" The girl squealed, laughing as she smiled and squealed in protest. Finally managing to get out of the young teen's grip, the girl stumbled onto the ground and made a run towards her father, laughing and screaming, "Daddy, daddy, help me! The tickle monster is out to get me!" Isabella was chasing slowly after the girl, limping, with her arm stretched out, "Ahhh!" She laughed and Isabella grinned, slowing down to a stalk, hands out.

"Run, run away, Elicia...I'm out to get you~!" Elicia squealed and grabbed her father's leg, hiding behind it.

"No! Daddy, help!" She laughed again. Hughes grinned and looked down at his daughter, resting a hand gently on her head,

"Want me to get the tickle monster back?" Elicia nodded her head frantically, tears in her eyes from when she was laughing so hard. Hughes looked at Isabella with a grin, preparing himself to start running, "I'll give you a three second headstart. One..." Isabella's eyes widened, realizing he was going to start chasing her. "Two..." And tickle her in revenge for tickling Elicia..."Three..." She made a break for it, Hughes hot on her heels. "And go!"

"Yay! Daddy, Daddy!" Elicia cheered, while Isabella shouted in protest, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process. She was becoming tired _very _quickly, not very athletic and also being weighed down by her automail that she wasn't in full control yet. "Haha!"

"H-Hey, no-!" She screamed loudly when Hughes grabbed her from the waist, quickly pulling her to him and tickling her sides-uncontrollable laughter and screaming erupted from her throat as she thrashed and kicked, trying to get away from his grip, "Stop it! No! No-quit it!" She broke down again, tears pricking her eyes this time.

"I am the true tickle monster! How dare you try and take my name!?" She cried out, practically begging for mercy as she could hardly breathe as she was laughing so hard now,

"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I take it back! S-Spare-m-me!" He continued to tickle her for a few moments, a smile so big on his face, before relenting with a laugh. She fell to the ground on her knees, palms against the floor, exhausted. "Ahaha...I'm worn out..."

She hardly noticed all the adult that were looking at her in surprise, never expecting a girl so cold to be so kind to Elicia and to ever laugh like that.

Isabella glared playfully at Hughes, "I'll get you for that! Just you wait-it'll be when you weren't expecting it too!" She was taken by surprise when he moved and ruffled her hair again, winking at her with a grin.

"I'll be waiting, Liz! Oh, and to give you a heads up, I'm not ticklish. So find another tactic." She pouted at him,

"Do you have to spoil my fun?" She asked and not ten seconds later she let out a yelp when Elicia tackled her from behind, laughing and giggling.

"Yay! Daddy won!" Isabella pouted childishly at Elicia,

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" Elicia grinned at her and stuck her tongue out, closing her eyes.

"Daddy wins!" Turning her head, Isabella sighed over exaggeratedly.

"Thanks, I love you too..."

"Love big sister! Love!" She giggled and Isabella turned her head in surprise before smiling.

"Yeah...I love you, too."

Hughes and Gracia could only smile at the scene, it being sweet and kind and just touching in general.

* * *

Eight months have passed and she had finally managed to get it to work properly. Sure, she was pissed that she couldn't get it at the certain time that she wanted, but at least it was only one...

"Bad day, bad day, bad day, bad day!" She shouted, running slowly from Elicia while making funny arm movements as she did so. The little girl giggled as she chased after her older "sister".

"Ah, Isabella! Come here! We need to speak to you!" It was Hughes. She stopped running, causing Elicia to bump into her leg and look up at her in confusion.

"Big sister?" Isabella frowned, realizing that what they were going to be talking about was serious, and looked down at Elicia with a smile, ruffling her hair.

"Ah, be back in a minute, kay? I'll let you do my hair to make up for it?" She offered, causing Elicia to beam up at her sister, cheering. Isabella smiled lightly at the child before uncertainly walking towards the kitchen. _What do they want to talk about? _What was it? Did she stay too long or-? A bolt of lightning ran through her, fear crawling its way up onto the surface.

Did they not like her anymore?

She entered the kitchen was greeted with Gracia's kind and loving smile, and Hughes' serious face. If there was to be pain, she didn't want it to show, so she put her "tough" mask back on. Back straight and chin raised, she stared at them blankly, waiting for a reply.

"What is it?" She questioned after not getting any. There was a few minutes of a silence, tension building in the air thickly.

Gracia broke the ice, starting with a worried look in her eyes, "Well, we know you don't have any family; at least, not anymore, and Elicia has taken quite a liking to you." Isabella raised an eyebrow, not seeing where this was going. Where they going to pity her _then _throw her our saying that they were sorry and telling her she had to live somewhere else? "Well, what we're trying to say is..."

"That you want me out?" She cut in, ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest. Was this was betrayal felt like? Huh, she decided she didn't like the feeling very much. "If you don't want me here, you can just tell me. Elicia's young, so it's not like she'll remember me or anything." Ouch. That just made the pain in her chest ever worse than it was now.

"No, that's not it!" Hughes interrupted, frowning. He sighed, before taking off his glasses and cleaning them with his shirt as he tried to think of what to say, "We love having you here, you're part of our family...but, the question is, do _you _want to become a part of it?"

She frowned, still not getting where this was going. She was told she was considered a part of the family many times already, and she even liked to think that Hughes and Gracia thought of her as another daughter. She had no clue when she would actually see her blood family again, but she figured that they'd all have made her a funeral or something by now as it had been eight months. She didn't want to leave the family she had come to love now...

"Hughes, let's just tell her." Gracia suggested, looking up at her husband as she dried her hands with a towel-as she had been doing the dishes only moments before.

"Tell me what?"

Hughes sighed again, placing his glasses back on his face and pushing them up on his nose, running a hand through his black spiky hair. "Well," he paused, before smiling at the girl hopefully, "What do you think about being adopted?"

"...Huh?"

* * *

Nine months. It had been one month since Isabella Christine Jones became Isabella Christine _Hughes_. She didn't even think there _were _adoptions in this world, but hey, apparently anything is possible. _Wait, Mustang was adopted by his aunt, right? Okay..._

_"This is so like you, Hughes,"_ She could hear Mustang over the phone talking with Hughes. _"I put a small thirteen year-old girl in your care, and after almost a year you decide to adopt her? Even after knowing you this well, you still seem to surprise me." _

"We even took a photo to celebrate the adoption! I got ten copies so far! You want one? Actually, better yet, you should hurry and marry and send me some pictures too! I think you and Riza would do nicely-"

_"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, I suggest you stop right there. If the Lieutenant heard you say this-" _

_Click. _

"She's pointing a gun at the phone right now, isn't she?"

_"...I don't think I'm viable to answer-Hey-!" _There was the sounds of protest on Mustang' end of the phone and when a voice came through, it wasn't Mustang. It was Riza Hawkeye, _"I suggest you stop making personal phone calls, Hughes. Especially while the Lieutenant Colonel is busy with work." _

_Beeeeep..._

She had hung up on him. Hughes pouted, "That wasn't very nice...Hey! Liz, I'm going to work to meet a few people, want to come along?"

"H-Huh?" She looked surprised, not expecting a question like that, "Wait, is that even allowed?" He grinned, waving his hand at her.

"Of course it is-Roy was the one who found you, plus he said he wanted to introduce you to someone! Besides, I have official business over there anyway, so he shouldn't mind to much if we pop in. Now, hurry up and get dressed!" She barely had time to blink before he pushed her up the stairs and into her room, sending her stumbling over her own feet and tripping and face-planting into the ground. She grumbled unintelligibly, a small string of curses stringing from her mouth.

Pulling herself to her feet, she grumbled as she moved over to the dresser and pulled out a random outfit- a red tank top with a plain black jacket and brown pants with elevator boots that added two inches to her height. Pulling her hair out from underneath her clothing, she didn't bother to brush and merely blew the bangs out of her face in irritation.

_Such the woe is me... _She snorted to herself in amusement, not bothering to hide her unlady-like manners. She honestly couldn't care less, to be honest.

* * *

Hughes slammed the door open without very much thought, a huge smile on his face as he stood up straight and raised a hand in the air in greeting, "Roy! How goes!? Heard you let 'em put you charge of catching the freezer! One _Hell _of a nasty assignment! But, hey! Could be your chance for that promotion to Central!"

Isabella looked on in silent amusement at Roy's amused face, watching him sigh in sad frustration.

"Oh, say! Looks like our timing was perfect!" Hughes continued, catching sight of Edward and Alphonse Elric sitting on the couch. Isabella followed his gaze and she swore her heart dropped into her stomach.

_"And now it gets interesting..." _She barely registered Truth speaking in her mind. She was _that _much in shock. Seeing them there, sitting there looking at the two in confusion, just proved that this reality wasn't a dream. Sure, she's been here for nine months, but it didn't mean she wasn't still in denial.

"You two are the Elric brothers, right!?" Before anyone knew what was happening, Hughes had already ran over and started to furiously shake Alphonse's armored hand, "Wow! It's an honor to finally meet the youngest State Alchemist _ever! _You're a _real _legend around here! I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes, it's a pleasure! And over there," Hughes reached over, still not releasing Alphonse's hand, and grabbed Isabella by the collar of her jacket and pulled her towards him. "Is my beautiful daughter, Isabella! She's not my only daughter of course-I have two! Elicia-"

"Uh, you want Edward." Alphonse interrupted uncertainly, sweat dropping as he stared at Hughes and Isabella uncomfortably. He observed the two for a moment, taking in Isabella's blank look and Hughes' confused one, before continuing uncertainly, "I'm actually his younger brother, Alphonse."

Hughes released Alphonse and Isabella immediately, raising his hands up in a surrender position as he stared in shock at Edward, "What!? _You're _the Fullmetal Alchemist!?" Isabella watched in hidden amusement as a dark aura surrounded Edward as he glared at Hughes, "Sorry! I had no idea that you'd be so-"

"Less than "metal"." She put in, making quotation marks marks with her fingers. Edward looked at her, finally noticing her, and blinked in surprise at her left hand.

"You have automail?" She rolled her eyes, clearly sarcastic,

"No, not at _all_. I mean, really, my left hand is _totally _flesh and blood!" There was a small snort in the room, and Alphonse and Edward looked slightly panicked as Ed looked at Al, and Isabella blinked in confusion. She held back a smirk and listened as Mustang raised his voice,

"Hughes!"

"Yeah?" The man asked, placing his hands on his hips as he stood up straight.

"What are you doing here? Go home."

"Actually, I'm here on Official business." Mustang looked confused and watched as Hughes turned to the Elric brothers, "You, Elrics, I understand that you two don't have a place to stay, which means you'll have to come with me." His face became serious and Edward and Alphonse looked on in confusion. Hughes' glasses flashed as he pulled a picture out of his uniform jacket pocket quickly, causing Edward to scream and Alphonse to look alarmed. They thought he was going to pull out a gun and aim it at them. They looked at the picture in surprise, it being of Gracia and Elicia, "My wide Gracia and my daughters Elicia and Isabella-we'd love to have you!" He told them with a small squeaky voice, a happy look on his face.

Mustang seemed to remember something and looked at Isabella in surprise, "Ah, that's right-I forgot all about you." She gained an irritated looked and snapped,

"Gee, thanks, make sure to remind me to put that on your tombstone-_Roy Mustang; Beloved Jerk and leader-favorite flower is forget-me-nots and hates children. _See how many ladies will love you then?" Yeah, Hughes told her about Mustang-though she already knew about him, since, you know, other side of the Gate and all. Mustang seemed to smirk at her.

"I think that would make a lovely tombstone. Now, how's that automail of yours doing?"

"Why should you care? And to answer your question, it's doing great."

Mustang didn't reply, merely looking up at Hughes and saying, "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, could you excuse us? I would like to chat with the Elrics and your "daughter" for a few moments."

Hughes nodded, still smiling. He knew Mustang wanted to talk to her and introduce her to someone, he just didn't think it would be the _Fullmetal Alchemist _and his _brother_. "Of course, Roy. Be back in a bit!" He waved and quickly walked out, the door slamming shut behind him.

The atmosphere grew thick and quiet and Edward was the one who broke it.

"Who the hell are you?" She glared at him, watching him stand up and walked over to her.

"Isabella Jon-Hughes." She wasn't used to it yet, as it seems, "Don't get snappy with me or I'll make you sleep on the floor. Armor-boy over there can get the couch."

"G-Guys, come on, please don't fight!" Alphonse pleaded, getting up and walking over with his hands up in a defensive position, ready to hold his brother back at any given moment.

Edward narrowed his eyes at her-which surprised her as they were truly a smoldering gold that shined like the sun. _Oh, poetic. His hair isn't that much far off either though. Reminds me of "Sleeping Beauty". _She thought in amusement, looking down at him. She paused, before a grin spread out across her face.

"Why'd you stumble on your last name?"

"I'm adopted, and in case you hadn't noticed...I'm taller than you."

Alphonse reacted quickly and held his brother back by the arms, crying, "Brother, please! Calm down!"

"WHO YOU CALLING A BUG SO SMALL THAT WHEN HE GETS STEPPED ON HE LIVES BECAUSE HE FITS BETWEEN THE CREASES OF THE SHOE!?" He snapped, struggling wildly in his brother's grip, "SAY THAT AGAIN, I DARE YOU! CALL ME SHORT ONE MORE TIME!? I BEG YOU- I'LL RIP YOUR LEGS OFF AND SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR THROAT!"

"Technically, one of my legs were already ripped off, so you'd be ripping off one leg and a thigh." Edward almost start to rant again, but looked on in confusion before his eyes lit up in realization.

"Your leg's automail, too... Which one?"

"My right."

"Brother," Alphonse began in a whisper-though not really a whisper, "Her's is opposite of yours...Just like "she" said."

Edward calmed down and Alphonse loosened his grip. Edward gained a deep, thoughtful frown on his face as he said, "I know..."

Isabella moved over with a little skip in her step, poking her head over their shoulders and asking with a blank frown, "Like who said?"

**"No one! No one said anything!" **Edward and Alphonse exclaimed, panicking slightly as they backed up and turned to her with their hands raised up in a defensive position. She frowned deeply, unconvinced, before shoving her hands into her jacket pockets.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever. That's what they all say."

Mustang raised an eyebrow at the strange conversation before saying, "Fullmetal, you remember the request I gave you? You were to look after and train someone for a certain amount of time until I deemed otherwise?"

"Yeah, yeah, what of it?" Edward sounded irritated-he _really _didn't like Mustang. He crossed his arms, bangs falling into his eyes as he gave Mustang a hard look, "Who is it?"

Mustang smirked, "Well, it was Hughes's idea originally-as he wanted her to be able to defend herself...and I found no one more fit to train her than you."

He raised an eyebrow, and Isabella looked at the dark haired man in surprise, eyes widening as her mouth grew slightly ajar.

**"Wait, you don't mean-?" **They began in unison, looking at each other with horror and slight disagreement in their eyes. Isabella wanted to _travel _with them, not _fight _with them. She doesn't even _know _how to fight.

"Yes, Fullmetal, your assignment is to train and look after the latest member of the Hughes' family, Isabella Christine Hughes."

It was safe to say that Edward protested loudly and profusely before giving in after Mustang threatened him. With what, Isabella thought it was obvious-help looking for the Philosopher's stone.

* * *

When they arrived at the house, Hughes instantly tackled his daughter and rubbed his face against her, smiling widely as he greeted adoringly, "Hi, Princess~!"

Elicia laughed loudly, giggling, "Ow...! Daddy, your beard is itchy!"

Isabella smiled at the sight, walking over and kneeling next to the two, "Not much of a beard there," She commented as poked Hughes on the cheek, "More like peach fuzz." Hughes smiled at her and Elicia and rubbed his beard again the smaller girl's face, smiling.

"Like this! Itchy, itchy!" Edward and Alphonse looked both surprised, and slight exasperated by the family. They were exasperated by the way Hughes was being with his daughter, but surprised at Isabella's smile. Elicia laughed and wiggled in her father's grip, crying out in protest before shouting for help.

"Big sister! Help, help!" Grinning, the brunette moved forward and quickly tackled Hughes, who shouted and released Elicia, who went and ran behind Isabella giggling. "Run, run, run! Daddy in trouble!"

"Lizzy, why'd you do that!?" Hughes whined childishly, sitting up with a pout. A grin spread across his face, "Then I guess I'll just have to hug you instead!" Her eyes grew wide in alarm and she quickly stood to move out of the way, only to shout as she got pinned down and pulled into Hughes' lap as he started to rub his beard against her cheek.

After a few moments, he paused and stopped, releasing the older girl and standing, "Look! We have guests! These are the Elric brothers!"

Elicia looked at them with a thoughtful face and pointed at Alphonse, "Big brother," she pointed at Edward, "Little brother." She sounded so proud.

Edward gained a tickmark on his face as he ground his teeth together, trying to hold his anger back for the little girl, "Nice to meet you..." It was forced, Isabella noted, and watched as he pointed his thumb at himself, "My name is Edward Elric, and this is my younger brother, Alphonse Elric." He clenched his fist and gave her a hard look, "Get that? _Youn..ger_. _Bro...ther_."

"But younger means little," She replied in confusion, "You're little." Hughes laughed as he picked up Elicia, watching steam blow out of Edward's nose as Alphonse held the blonde back for the fifth time that day. They started to walk into the building, Gracia holding the door open for them with a kind smile.

"Let it go, Ed," Alphonse told his brother, "These people are being nice by letting us stay here."

Isabella spoke, "Hope you didn't eat," She began and Edward was about to go onto another rant, "Gracia made dinner."

"It's _delicious!" _Hughes bragged, lifting his chin up proudly. They entered the kitchen and Edward gasped, the aroma and sight of the food made him ready to drool.

"Wow!" He exclaimed, eyes sparkling. Elicia giggled and Isabella took her from Hughes, sitting down and placing her on her lap with a small smile. The girl laughed again and shouted,

"Food, food!" Isabella may have rubbed off on her a little...

"Okay, eat up!" Hughes told them, grinning as he grabbed a plate and utensils. Edward nodded, grabbing his own knife and fork as he smiled gratefully, pleasantly surprised.

"Thanks!" He told them, smiling widely and oh-so gratefully. Once everyone got their food, except Alphonse, Hughes watched Ed eat with a smile. "Wow, you weren't kidding!" He exclaimed, mouth stuffed fool. "This's grate!"

Isabella bit into a piece of delicious mashed potatoes and gravy, and blinked in surprise before smiling at Elicia and scooping up some onto her fork and allowing the smaller girl to bite off of it. The toddler leaned against the teen, chewing the yummy food happily.

"Don't be shy, eat all you want." Gracia told him with that kind and gentle motherly smile of hers.

"It's an all-you-can-eat-buffet at this place," Isabella told him, stirring some of the noodles on her plate and mixing it with the gravy before biting into it.

"Okay, thanks!" Hughes looked in surprise at Alphonse, noticing that the armored boy wasn't eating anything or grabbing a plate.

"Alphonse, how are you gonna eat wearing that arm?" He asked, smiling uncertainly. Was he uncomfortable in their household? "Take it off, relax!"

Edward paused when he was about to bit into a quiche pie, he and Alphonse looking up at Hughes like a pair of deer caught in the headlights. Edward awkwardly stuck a piece of the pie into his mouth, chewing, while Alphonse scratched the side of his helmet.

Edward swallowed, speaking quickly and nervously as sweat beaded down his face, "He's not allowed too!" He blurted, "He has to wear it all the time! It's a-part of his alchemy training! Isabella will be undergoing something similar, but she won't need armor since it's just self-defense moves she's going to be learning, hahaha..." He trailed off, laughing nervously and sheepishly. He continued, smiling awkwardly, "You know how it is! I-I'll eat enough for both of us!" To prove his point, he grabbed a roll and stuffed it into his mouth and chewed the whole thing. He swallowed, only to cough as he pounded his fist on his chest and had to down half a cup of water.

Elicia blinked before giggling and waving her hands in the air, nearly hitting Isabella in the face, "Train! Choo, choo!"

Isabella leaned her head back with a smile, amused by Elicia's antics, however thought, _That was one hell of a terrible lie... I watched too much Black Butler, _She thought to herself, sweatdropping at her thought process.

* * *

_"Daddy won't be here much longer, so stay strong for me okay?" The man appeared in his mid-twenties, pale with messy brown hair and chocolate eyes. He was in a hospital bed with needles in his skin and a I.V connected to him. He appeared very sickly despite his young age, and it appeared he would not be in this world much longer-the faint beatings of his heart race telling the girl so. _

_The girl gripped his left hand tightly, trying to hold back the tears that formed in her eyes. "Daddy, don't go...Dilan and Lilly will keep making fun of me..." She bit her lip, trying to figure out excuses that would convince him to stay, "And-And mommy won't make dinner for us if you go as well!" **Maybe that would be good enough to convince him**, she hoped. **Daddy loves mommy's cooking... **Her heart dropped into her stomach as she watched her father smile sadly at her. _

_"I'm sorry, La-La, but Daddy doesn't think he'll be around for another one of your mother's meals." _

_"Don't go! No, no, no, no, no-No! No leaving!" She cried out, demanding him to stay with her, "Please, don't go! I won't let you! I'll bring you back-I'll make the Doctors bring you back! You can't go; I won't let you go!" _

_"La-La...do Daddy one little favor before he goes?" The girl looked up, her eyes red and puffy as the tears feel silently down her cheeks. She sniffled and blinked a few times, swallowing the lump in her throat as she nodded. "Daddy's wallet...can you grab it for me? There's a picture in there and-and I want you to have it. To remember me by." _

_The moved slowly, hesitantly and reluctantly releasing her father's pale and cold hand as she moved over to the desk. She picked up the black skull wallet and unzipped it, rummaging through it before pulling out a photo and holding it up for confirmation. He nodded with a small smile on his face. She placed the wallet back down and walked back over, holding it out for him to take. _

_She was surprised when he reached out instead and placed his left hand on top of her own, over the picture. His eyes, identical to her own, locked on to hers. _

_"I want you to keep this, okay? Daddy loves you." He moved his hand and rested it back on his stomach, watching with bleary eyes as she looked at the photo. _

_It was of the two of them, him holding her as a baby. His brown eyes were smiling and his chocolate hair was as messy as ever, his skin a tan rather than the sickly pale he was now. Isabella was a frail, thin infant, small for a healthy baby. He was only 21 in the photograph, 26 was his age now as he lie on his deathbed. She looked back up at him with teary eyes, shoulder shaking ever so slightly. _

_The man held out his hand out for his daughter to take. His fingertips were wide and thick, caused by his heart cancer. His fingernails were blue and he seemed to be loosing consciousness. His breathing quickened and he coughed harshly, blood trailing down his blue lips. _

_The girl took it, screaming at him to stay with her. He couldn't leave her. He couldn't. He had to stay. She wouldn't let him leave-she couldn't. Daddy had to stay with her. He said they'd be together forever, he promised. _

_He **pinky **promised. _

_"No! No, no, no, no-**NOOO!" **She screamed furiously, the beeping of a stopped heart echoing in the room. Doctors rushed in as the girl screamed and cried, thrashing against them as they pulled her away from her father. "Stop it! Stop it! Bring him back-Bring him **back! **Daddy! Dad! DADDDY!"_

Isabella awoke in a cold sweat, tears streaming down her face as her shoulders shook, eyes red and puffy. The dream-no, _memory _replayed in her head like a broken record, scaring and backing her into a corner she couldn't retreat from. She was only five, one year older than Elicia, when she had lost her father to heart cancer. The only parts of his body that he could move was his left arm and hand, and his head. Her father's name was Jonathon. And he was the kindest, funniest, _goofiest _man she had ever known... and he died. He broke his promise.

She wanted to scream. Hell, Isabella wanted to _cry_ her eyes out and scream until her lungs burst.

But she wasn't a child anymore. She wasn't some naive little girl who didn't understand the concept of death-no, she was Isabella Christine Hughes, and she was going to do whatever she could to stop Elicia from having the same fate. She just didn't know _how_.

She backed herself against her bedframe, sitting on her pillows as she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She wasn't Edward Elric or Izumi Curtis-hell, she wasn't even an Alphonse Elric. She couldn't take on Envy. The best she could do in this state was to plead with him to not go to work and wear a bullet-proof vest.

She then remembered the "Maria" incident and the fake corpse. Maybe...just maybe...

She would need to talk to Mustang. But how would he believe her? _Why _would he?

She was just a fourteen year-old girl who couldn't fight to save her life, _or _do alchemy. So how?

Light streamed in the window and she squinted her eyes, the light burning. Her eyelids started to droop and she yawned to herself, fatigue hitting her like a volleyball to the face.

Isabella would figure out in the morning...

And with that though, she feel sideways and face-planted sideways into the sheets, passing out instantly.


	4. When Tears and Cowardice refuse to stop

**Elizabeth- Oath of God, God's Satisfaction, Satisfaction of God.**

**Full Name = Elizabeth Annabel Brown.**

**Age- Thirteen**

**Sign: Pisces Rabbit**

**Okay, there we go, screwed up on it last chap. XD Sorry for the long wait, trying to balance school work-which I will say I HATE Chemistry and actually prefer MATH homework to it now. Seriously, at least I understand most of that stuff- Marching Band, like five other fanfictions I'm working on, and...no, actually, I think that's it. Well, don't shoot me now because if you do then I won't be able to get the next chapter up. XD **

**Seriously...please, don't. **

**And I have yet to find the person who stole my gym shorts from first period... (ANGRY RAGE AS I TURN INTO GIANT BLUE SHE-HULK: Inside Joke) ...I still don't even know who the person was from seventh grade who destroyed my gym shirt... TT_TT I don't like people very much... Sigh. **

"It's amazing," Edward commented as he, Alphonse, and Isabella exited the Hughes' family house. Isabella and Alphonse looked at the blonde in confusion, not understanding.

"What is, brother?"

He smirked and jabbed a thumb at Isabella, stating rather rudely, "It's amazing that a girl like _that _can actually smile! Shows you just what kids can do to people."

Growling, the girl grounded her teeth together and narrowed her eyes, demanding, "Just what the hell is _that _supposed to mean, you bastard?"

"Exactly what I said." He replied, eyes closed. Since he couldn't see, he didn't notice Isabella's fist flying towards his head.

"Brother!"

* * *

"This receivers seen better days," Fuery commented with a frown, "I think I'm going to have to replace it."

Edward quickly clapped his hands with a smirk, reaching over and pressing a hand against the receiver. Fuery gasped and turned his head, only to be greeted with the sight of the Elric brothers and a strange brunette girl. He exclaimed, "Hey! It's Edward and Alphonse! And...uh, wait, aren't you that girl Havoc found in the alley?"

Havoc blinked in surprise, recognition flying across his face, "Hey, I think you're right. Wait, what are you doing with the Elric brothers?"

Edward cut Isabella off before she could even speak, "Mustang's makin' me train her in self-defense."

Riza Hawkeye spoke next, smiling slightly, "Welcome back." The brothers looked at the blonde in surprise, "Go on in, the Colonel's expecting you."

Edward gained a sour look on his face, causing Isabella to laugh at him. He glared at her, "Shut up! It isn't funny!"

She crossed her arms, smirking in amusement, "I think it is...Shortie."

Al grabbed his brother before he could mutilate Isabella's face with his hands.

After about five minutes, he calmed down. Glaring at Isabella, he ordered, "Shut up and wait outside in the hall! You're not needed here-and _don't _think about running off either!"

Isabella shrugged, "Whatever." Edward was pissed off at her-at everything about her. He really, _really _didn't like this girl. She annoyed him about as much as Colonel Bastard did. Her calm exterior and her insulting his height intentionally-it just _pissed him off_. She closed the door behind her, standing out in the hall.

She could hear Edward growling to himself in anger, "What the hell is her problem!? Acting like she's better than everybody-!" She heard him scoff, "Like hell she is."

"Post-traumatic stress?" She heard Fallman suggest, and Isabella bit back a snort. _I'm not traumatized; I think I'm actually handling this all pretty well. _"What? It's not like it isn't possible..."

"What the hell would she be traumatized about?"

"She _was _found in an alley bleeding to death with a missing arm and leg..." Fuery pointed out, "She would be dead if Havoc and his patrol group didn't find her. Not to mention she'd be living out on the streets if Lieutenant Colonel Hughes didn't take her in."

Isabella was slightly irritated that they were talking about her behind her back, but waited to see where this conversation would lead. Like, honestly, they should _know _that she'd be able to hear them!

"Whatever, like I care-let's just get this over with. Al, come on."

"But, brother-" There was the hollow footsteps of armor that signaled Al followed his brother.

"You all realize that she can hear you from outside the door?" Riza.

Isabella almost burst out laughing at the bluntness of the blonde's statement. God, she loved Hawkeye. Calling out through the door, she said with an amused face, "Didn't your mothers teach you how rude it was to speak behind a person's back!? For shame on all of you!"

"I know, right?" Isabella jumped, about to scream at the voice that made itself known from in front of her. Whirling her head around, she stared wide-eyed at the brunette that was staring her straight in the face, and felt a scream bubble itself up her throat.

She had almost the _exact _same _face_.

The girl was the same height, standing at 5'0, if not a few inches shorter because of the shoes Isabella was wearing. She was tan, if not still retaining a pale skin tone, and had eyes that were almost the exact same shade of her own, only darker. Her eyes were also more "dere" and more round than sharp, but still retained that "Tsun" feature. Her hair was short, stopping just above her shoulders, and was at least one shade darker than her own. She had bangs that were pushed to the right, and on the left side of her head was a rat-tail pony.

Underneath her right eye were two "Snake" moles like Isabella's, and the face was more round than heart-shaped. The resemblances refused to end... Even the body shape was the same.

The broad shoulders and defined waist, the flat chest, and the thin arms and mouse hands... She was wearing a plain red T-Shirt and blue jeans. And her hands...her hands were made out of automail and judging by the way the jean leg on her right leg clung tightly, it was as well.

Her face was even mirroring the same look of shock and horror that Isabella was presenting on her face.

**"You..." **

"What the hell!?"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Um, ah, I-I'm Elizabeth, you?"

"Isabella, now answer my damn question! Why the hell do you look like me!?"

"Wait," The girl's face grew confused as she raised a finger to point at her uncertainly, clearly hesitant, "You-You're name is-It's...It's Isabella "Christine Jones", right?"

Isabella frowned, glaring intently at the brunette who seemed to come to realization, "Yeah, what of it?" A grin broke out on the girl's face, a look of one who had come to find something that they had been searching for for ages.

"That means your Dad is Jonathon Jones! We're twins-well, fraternal twins, but twins none the less! This is awesome-do you know how unlikely this is!?"

"What?" The girl nodded frantically,

"Yeah! I was told that I was adopted a few days before I came here! She even showed me a picture of what we both looked like after we were both born, 'cause she kept the pictures in a small locket that your father gave her, and that your mother had to give me up due to a debt that she owed! And, when I met Truth, she said that my twin would be here and would have automail opposite to Edward's-well, actually, it was more implied rather than said..." She laughed, scratching the side of her head.

"...So that's what they meant when they said, "She"." Isabella mused, crossing her arms. She was surprised at herself-she was certain that she would be freaking out, but, it actually seemed to make sense. Her mother _had _seemed to be hiding something for as long as she could remember. Her mother had seem to grow even more distant after her father died... "Wait a minute," She started, only to get cut off by Elizabeth when she grabbed her arm.

"Okay, we really shouldn't talk here-come on, to the girl's bathroom!" She started to lead her away in a random direction, "Let's hope I actually _remember _where the bathroom is..." The girl clearly seemed paranoid as her eyes darted around the hallway, looking for any eavesdroppers. It took about three minutes before they found it, and Isabella let out a small shout as Elizabeth pushed her inside, causing her to stumble. Elizabeth moved in quickly and locked the door behind her, making sure no one else can get in. With a moment's pause, she pulled out a small piece of paper and clapped her hands, touching it and causing it to grow bigger with the letters on it that say, "Out of Order". She unlocked the door and opened, hanging it on the door handle before closing and locking it again.

"There we go, okay. Now, ask questions and I try to answer."

"You're grammar is terrible." Elizabeth laughed, clearly having heard it before.

"I know, I know-I get told that all the time! As I said before, "I can't speak it, but I can write it"!"

Isabella shook her head, clearly trying to wrap the sudden turn of events. _Now _the shock was getting to her. _Wait, I have a twin? Okay...Still makes sense, though. _"Right," She started, swallowing the lump in her throat, "Okay. Do you know the Elric brothers?"

"Yup."

"How'd you meet them?"

She shrugged, "Met them in Liore. I was thirteen when I came here; popped up in RushValley. Garfield took me in."

"The gay guy?" Isabella loved the gay guy. He was hilarious and completely _fabulous_. She always wanted a gay best friend.

"Yup. Found me bleeding to death in an alley," Gee, that sounds familiar, "Found me and patched me up! I was surprised though, he didn't really let me pay him back or anything. Still, nice guy."

"Why'd Truth take your hands and leg?" A pained look crossed the girls face as she turned her hands over, looking at her palms. Her _metallic _palms.

"He...Truth took my ability to feel and draw. Have a small fetish with soft things, and I like to draw with my right hand. You?"

"Found me too much like Ed." Isabella shook her head, "I don't see it. Then again, it could just be because I was bored and drew fake automail limbs on my skin."

Elizabeth nodded her head, as if to say "Okay, then". "Makes sense, I guess. Wait, why are we in a bathroom, anyway?"

"How the Hell should _I _know? You're the one who dragged me here, you damn idiot!" Isabella snapped, raising a hand and thumping Elizabeth against her head. Elizabeth cried out in pain, tears pricking her eyes as she gripped her head.

_"Owwww!_ Why'd you do that? That hurts!"

"I thought you said you couldn't feel!"

"Not with my hands! He only took my foot 'cause I'm apparently going to a different Gate or something after this!"

Isabella paused, looking at Elizabeth with surprise on her face, "Wait, did it say something about "A limb for each world" or something?" Elizabeth looked up in surprise,

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

Isabella deadpanned, unimpressed, "It said the same thing to me. Difference is, he took two limbs and from you three."

"Okay, so he took two because you drew them on your skin, reminded him of Edward, and you only had two gates?"

"'Bout sums it up."

"And I lost my hands because I loved to feel things, and I had three gates?"

"Yup."

"Well...this sucks."

"Really; I hadn't noticed."

Their conversation was interrupted by Edward's loud voice, "DAMN IT, WHERE THE HELL IS SHE!? I TOLD HER TO STAY PUT!"

"Brother, calm down! I'm sure she's around here somewhere! Maybe-Maybe Elizabeth found her-"

"And this is why I told her to stay at the hospital! Why does no one ever listen to me!?"

"Because you're short." Mustang.

Elizabeth and Isabella sweatdropped at the noise from the other side of the door, listening as Edward ranted.

"Wait, what does your name mean?" Elizabeth questioned suddenly, "My name means "God's Satisfaction"." Isabella frowned at the girl,

"God's Oath", why?"

"So, either Truth is being ironic again, or our parents had a thing for God."

"I think it's him being ironic again."

"Same."

"I have a weird fascination with names' meanings and stuff," She added after a few moments, then said, " I think we should go before Edward decides to kill us."

"Yeah, good point; I like the way you think."

"Thank you, I quite like the way I think, too." They grinned at each other and, in a moment of completely hilarity, wrapped their arms around each others shoulders.

Elizabeth said with a cheeky grin, "I think we'll get along nicely. This is so cool~! I always wanted a twin!"

Isabella couldn't help but to agree, "Same." Despite Elizabeth's huge personality difference with her own, she really does believe that they'll be best friends-even if they _were _supposedly sisters. Funny, aren't "long lost sibling" reunions supposed to be more touching and teary than strange and excitable?

"You also have zero authority-wait a sec..." There was the sound of footsteps nearing the door and the handle juggled, "This isn't out of order! Someone locked the door-Open it, right now! I'll knock this door down on the count of five...One..." The two girls paused and loosened their grip on each other, turning their heads towards the door in confusion, "Two..."

"He's not gonna do it." Elizabeth stated matter-of-factly.

"Three..." Isabella's face seem to pale along with Elizabeth's.

"He might...nah, no way."

"Four..."

They looked at each other in fear. Elizabeth questioned, "He won't, right?" **  
**

"Five!" Isabella screamed, pressing her hands against her face.

"Oh, shit, he is!"

Elizabeth made a break towards the door, screaming as she unlocked it and opened it, terror written all over her face, "STOP! Don't do it; it's unlocked, see!" Isabella was right behind her, quickly masking the fear on her face with slight alarm.

Mustang smirked at them, "Good. Isabella, you are to go with the Elric brothers to the Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker's, house. You are to stay with them for the duration of your training."

"I'm coming too!" Elizabeth called with a grin, raising a hand into the air. She quickly leaned back with a disturbed look on her face when Edward moved and stood in front of her with an angered glare,

"What the hell!? Al and I told you to stay at the hospital! What are you doing here!?"

"I wanted to meet my sister!" She whined, throwing her hands up in defense before pointing at Isabella.

**"Sister?" **Mustang and the Elric brothers repeated in confusion, question marks popping up above their heads. Elizabeth nodded and ran over, wrapping her arms around an uncomfortable Isabella's shoulders.

"Yup! We were separated at birth 'cause of a debt our mother owed, so we never actually met until now! We're fraternal twins, by the way! Hence why we look similar but don't! Also our very different personalities that still hint a bit of commonality!"

"Congratulations, you know how to use big words." Isabella deadpanned, personality switching to her cold exterior again as she crossed her arms. Elizabeth complained, acting like a little child,

"Why are you being so cold~!? You were so nice earlier! We practically finished each other's sentences!"

"I don't care, get off." Isabella felt a small blush coat her cheek in embarrassment though as she turned her head, diverting her gaze from anyone. "It's not like I was being nice on purpose, dumbass." She "Hmph'ed".

"You are such a "Tsundere" haha!"

"Get off!"

* * *

"This house is _huge_!" Edward exclaimed as he looked at the Tucker's residence. Isabella commented, eyes widening in shock,

"I-Is this even a house?"

"More like a _mansion_!" Elizabeth exclaimed, grinning from ear-to-ear. Her eyes grew wide quickly and she reached over with lightning speed as she grabbed Isabella's jacket sleeve, pulling her away from Edward as a dog jumped up out of nowhere and landed on him. He screamed-_loudly_.

Isabella blinked a few times before bursting out into laughter, holding her stomach as she leaned backwards. Elizabeth pointed obnoxiously at Edward as she laughed, bending over with a hand on one knee.

Alphonse quickly moved over and knelt down next to his brother in worry, "You okay, Ed!?"

"Daddy!" A little girl's voice exclaimed, causing everyone to turn to look at the newcomer. It was a girl about four years in age, with chestnut colored hair put in two braids that hung behind her back and stopped just below her butt. Her eyes were wide and an ocean blue, wearing an orange button-up shirt with a pair of blue shorts. "There are people out here!" She giggled and the long-lost, recently reunited, sisters stopped laughing and stared at the girl, both thinking the same thing.

**_She's so CUTE!_ **

"Look!" The girl finished with an adorable smile on her face.

"Nina," An older man with balding orange hair and slight peach fuzz began, "this is why I told you to keep the dog tied up."

Elizabeth laughed, "It's okay, don't worry-Ed _loves _playing with animals!"

"Yeah," Isabella nodded in agreement as she crossed her arms, "After all, he hangs out with a Mustang all the time."

She ignored the dirty look Edward sent her and tried to hold her laughter when Mustang deadpanned,

"Leave me out of this."

Taking sight of Mustang, Tucker quickly invited them inside and apologized, "I'm sorry about the mess, but ever since my wife ran out this place has been a wreck. I'm not much of a house keeper." He set some tea cups in front of the teens and adult, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Isabella tried to hide her discomfort at sitting at the same table as Tucker, as he _was _a mad man. Not the good kind of mad man either.

Tucker smiled at them as he laced his fingers together, "Now that we're all settled in, let me tell you what a pleasure it is to meet you Edward. As the Colonel told you, I'm the Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker."

Mustang spoke, gesturing to the small blonde, "Ed is interested in the field of Biological Alchemy. He would like to have a look at your research if that's possible."

Tucker nodded, "Oh, yes, certainly. I don't mind." Edward and Alphonse looked at each other, a smile on Edward's face, "However," They looked back at Tucker, wary, "If you want me to show you the tricks I've got up my sleeve, it's only fair that you show me what you got up yours as well." Ed narrowed his eyes, his lips turning down into a frown, "It's the code we live by-equivalent exchange. Now, why are you interested in Bio-Alchemy?"

Mustang tried to lie, "Well, oh, Ed, um, you see-"

Isabella cut in, eyebrow twitching, "Dude, stop. You-No."

Elizabeth deadpanned, "You can't lie worth crap."

...

It took everything Isabella had to not cry at the story. She knew what it was like to lose a parent-and the need, the _want_, to bring them back. To do anything to bring them back, just to see them again.

She had begged and pleaded and screamed and cried, she even tried to kill herself once. She wasn't thinking clearly back then-she just wanted him _back_. Dilan, her brother, had barged into the room before she could stab herself and grabbed her by the wrist, pinning her against the ground as he slapped her in the face and screamed at her. His brown eyes were so red and angered, his black hair was thrown messily around as he tried to get sense into her stupid eight year-old mind.

When her sister came in-Isabella gained the beating of her _life_. Her bruises lasted two weeks because of her violent sister. Her sister was violent and often showed how much she cared by how hard she clocked you upside the head, while her brother was more kind and more of a joker and used words to get to you. However, when he was angry... It was a wonder how the two were related, _twins _nonetheless.

And now that _she _had a twin... _Well, **he **was a twin himself, once..._ She swallowed the lump in her throat, blinking a few times as she clenched her pants legs. Nobody ever noticed.

Elizabeth, too, seemed a little saddened, but her sadness was more "view-able" than Isabella's.

Tucker exclaimed, shocked, "You transmuted your mother-as an _eleven year-old child!?"_ Tucker was astonished, and watched as Ed pulled off his jacket and over-coat to reveal his metallic arm. He frowned, "I see...So that's what earned you the title "Fullmetal Alchemist". You've had a rough time of it for someone so young." _  
_

Edward sat back down, silent, not bothering to put his jacket and over-coat back on.

Tucker stood up, "I can't say for sure if it's going to be of any use to you or not, but why don't you go ahead and look at my laboratory?"

* * *

"Wow!" Alphonse gasped, he and his brother staring at the jars full of small animals such as dead frogs and lizards, along with some-er, animal _parts_.

"It's kinda embarrassing," Tucker admitted, Isabella making a face at the jars from slight disgust. "I'm fairly widely regarded as an authority on chimeras," Elizabeth flinched, raising her hands up to cover her ears, "But the truth is...It hasn't actually been going that well, lately."

Elizabeth quietly excused herself out of the laboratory, choosing to stand out in the hallway with a pale face. Isabella frowned in confusion, but decided not to think about it too much. After a few more minutes of staring at the chimeras, Tucker finally decided to show all the teens his library.

Isabella noticed Elizabeth's face light up, all sickness from earlier vanishing from her face.

"Amazing!" Edward exclaimed, observing the huge library. Isabella blinked a few times, almost wondering if a library as big as this actually _existed_, before grinning widely.

"This is my library," Tucker told them with a kind smile, "Feel free to look around."

He didn't even have to ask twice before Elizabeth was scaling the shelves. Isabella grabbed one at random and plopped herself on the floor, flipping to the middle of the book and staring blankly at the picture presented. Shaking her head, she lifted it up and her eyes practically bulged out of her head seeing Elizabeth _surrounded _by books.

Think of Belle in _Beauty and the Beast_, only shorter and less pretty, and eighty percent of the books the Beast gave her taken away. She was surrounded by twenty percent of the books that Belle had in her library. Which was pretty damn _much_.

She watched as Edward almost tripped, screaming before yelling in annoyance, "Do you have to have so many books out in the middle of nowhere!? Someone will get hurt!" A tick mark grew on his forehead when the girl didn't reply, eyes merely moving along with the words on the pages, "Hey! Answer me-!" Alphonse cut his brother off as he placed a hand on his shoulder,

"Brother, she didn't mean any harm. Besides, remember when we first met her? She had her nose stuck in a book and bumped straight into me-She loves to read, remember?"

He huffed, irritated, before stomping over a good ten feet away from Elizabeth and plopping down as he opened his own book. "Whatever, let's start diving in, Al. I'm starting with this shelf!" He pointed to the shelf that he got his book from. Alphonse gave an echoing laugh as he pointed at the shelf close to his brother's,

"Okay, then I'll start here!"

Isabella lifted her head up when Mustang started to speak, "I'm going to go head back to work now. I'll send somebody by to get you this evening." The pale brunette waved her hand in the air as if to say "Whatever" and said,

"Don't give Hughes a heart attack!" She didn't speak a word after that, trying to get her brain to understand what "alembic" and "balsam" were.

It was about an hour or two, before Isabella was suddenly tackled from behind and sent sprawling onto the floor on her front. Landing roughly on her chin, she flinched and let out a grunt. Elizabeth's heavy body lay on top of her.

"Guess what, guess what, guess what!?"

Pushing herself up and forcing the younger brunette off-at least, she _thinks _she's the younger one, she glared, "What?" She didn't even have time to blink before a book was shoved up in her face and Elizabeth was rattling off,

"You know the "Other Half" thing that Truth was talking about and how we didn't know much about it, not to mention that we have more than one gate and we can somehow travel through them even though she never told us about it!? I found some info!"

Isabella blinked once, then twice, then asked in confusion, "Wait..._"She"_?"

Elizabeth nodded, "Yeah! You know, since Truth takes the body shape of whoever is entering the gate or whatever, and since Truth took the form of us and we only saw her like that, Truth is a "She", y'know, "Girl"?" Elizabeth then gained a scrutinizing look as she stuck out her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes, "Unless you're really a guy and you didn't tell me...But, then again, you're flat as a board so you _might _be."

Isabella's eyebrow twitched and Elizabeth quickly let out a scream of pain, clutching her throbbing head. Multiple tick marks on her face, Isabella shook her fist as she forced an irritated grin on her face, "You know, you might _really _want to learn to keep that mouth of yours _shut!" _She growled through grounded teeth.

Tears streamed down Elizabeth's face as she whined, "You're so mean to me~! You really _are _a female Edward Elric! Jerk!"

"Shut up! No one asked you anyway!" She huffed and crossed her arms, preparing to ignore the childish brunette, only to remember as she turned her head to look back at her, "Wait...info?"

"Yeah, see!?" She shoved the book into her face, but Isabella quickly learned from experience to lean back as quickly as possible to avoid getting a broken nose. Isabella yanked the book out of Elizabeth's hand and stared at the pages, confusion and understanding forming on her face.

"I...So...That's why."

_There is such a thing as another dimension, and to be exact, there are ten of them. Recent studies suggest that this is the "Fifth" dimension and that there are other version of ourselves living in said dimensions. The timelines are different but the "You" in them remain. Same age, same shape, even similar personalities. This was proven five years ago when a young man named Matthew Robinson appeared and confirmed this. He claimed to have come from the "Eighth" dimension and to have seen a mysterious being that calls itself "God" and that it is the "Truth" of all things. _

_This "God" has been said to be an "Angel" or "The World". It claimed to be everything and anything. Things such as "You" and "I" are "One". Matthew Robinson has come up with the "Other Half" concept based on what this "God" has told him. _

_Your "Other Half" is basically you in another dimension, with similar family and friends, looks and personalities-except backgrounds and what world you live in. Matthew Robinson claimed to have "switched places" with his "Other Half", Reich Hollander. Reich Hollander was a boy with a good family, and few friends, but when Matthew switched places places with Reich, his "family" noticed something was different. _

Isabella was forced to stop reading when Elizabeth pulled the book out of her hands with a grin, "See! It tells you about it!"

"I noticed," She deadpanned, slightly irritated, Now can I-" She cut herself off noticing something brown poking out from behind a shelf. She turned her head to look at it, only to see it go and hide behind the shelf quickly. A small amused smile grew on Isabella's face at the sight of Nina's shyness, "Hello?" She called, trying to prevent the childish grin that desperately wanted to crawl on her face.

Kids. Kids were always her weak spot. She probably mentioned this before, but it was true.

"Nina?" Elizabeth questioned, grinning goofily and causing the young girl to poke her head from behind the shelves with a shy but happy smile as she giggled.

It was then decided that they would go bug Alphonse,

"Hey, think you can give us a lift onto the shelves?"

"Why?"

Nina giggled, grinning, "Ninja!" If Alphonse were human, he probably would've blinked.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Elizabeth will cushion our fall," Isabella stated bluntly, pointing her thumb behind her at the brunette that was now currently gaping disbelievingly at Isabella.

"What-_no_! I'm not a mattress!" The more mature one of the two turned their head and stared blankly at them, as if she didn't care what she said,

"Really, could've fooled me."

Tears started to stream comically down Elizabeth's face as she whined, "Alphonse~! Izzy's being mean to me!"

"Uh..." He reached over and awkwardly patted her shoulder with his huge metal hand, "There, there?" He seemed to have little experience with crying girls, however, lucky for him Elizabeth got over it quickly and resumed to dramatics.

"Now, quickly my armor-y friend, let us rise to the heavens and irritate the annoying little blonde known as Elfward Shortwick!"

Everyone grew silent as they waited for a certain blonde to pop up and try to rip Elizabeth's vocal cords out of her throat.

Stress lines formed on her face as she fell to her knees, a hand placed over her chest as she let out a heavy sigh, trembling, "That was too close...I was for certain that he was gonna try and kill me..."

"Brother isn't _that _mean..."

Isabella and Elizabeth fixed him with dead stares, while Nina merely blinked confusion. Weren't they supposed to be playing?

After that small reminder, it didn't take long before Edward was screaming as he tried to get out from underneath the shelves that the trio of miscreants had knocked over when they were walking on the top of them. Finally managing to escape, he stood up and glared at the three girls who stared up at him innocently.

"What the hell are you three doing-you're supposed to not be bothering me! Or-_AL! _Not you too! What the _hell_!?"

"We were bored," Isabella stated, eyelids dropping as she felt a yawn coming on, boredom hitting her at full-force again. If she didn't have something to occupy her attention, she generally started to fall asleep.

"It was fun!" Elizabeth defended, while Nina giggled and crawled out from underneath a few books,

"Really, really fun! We were being ninjas!" She made gestures with her arms and Edward seemed to hesitate, seeing how utterly _adorable _she was.

"They're right brother," Alphonse added, lifting the bookshelves up and placing them back in their proper places, "Besides, Nina looked like she wanted to play."

Grounding his teeth together, he focused his gaze on his brother rather than the adorable-ness that was Nina, "Well, in case you've forgotten, we didn't _come _here to play _ninja_!" He froze when a huge shadow loomed over him, turning his head when he a slow bark and screamed as white fur flashes in his vision before he was pushed to the floor.

Alexander landed on top of the blonde and was currently laying on Edward's back, licking the back of the blonde's braided head.

Elizabeth burst out laughing, pointing obnoxiously at Edward while Isabella clamped a hand over her mouth, trying her best to hold back her giggles.

Alexander stopped licking Edward's head and let out a few pants and whines, Nina saying with a smile, "Alexander says that he wants to play, too!"

Raising a hand up, Isabella's amused voice spoke as she tried hard to not laugh, "I can vouch for that...pfft-!" She squeezed her eyes shut, shoulders shaking slightly as she tried to hold it in.

It's been a long time, almost an entire year since she had to hide her laughter. For if people found your weakness...they would exploit it and use it against you. It was a bad habit she gained after _he _died, one that stuck, but it seemed to gradually fade away after hanging around the same people continuously.

Moving his arms to push his head up, he grouched, "That's what you want is it?" He asked as his golden eyes trailed to the panting dog, before pushing it off of his back and standing as the room suddenly grew dark, a spotlight shining on the blonde, "You've bested me twice dog...but playtime is _over_." He then clenched his fists angrily, teeth turning into fangs as he screamed and declared, "I will not lose this time! I, _Edward Elric__, _will use my considerably powers to _vanquish _you!"

The dog barked and quickly stood, running as fast as it could as Edward chased after it with fire behind him, screaming.

"_YOU MANGY MUUUUUUTTT!" _

Elizabeth's obnoxious laughter echoed around the room while a sweatdropped formed on Al's armor, Nina giggling loudly at the scene before her.

"Big brother's so funny!" She exclaimed, "Big sisters are silly, too!"

Isabella felt warmth spread across her heart, making her forget the events that were supposed to follow in the next few days.

...

"Hey, Chief, you're ride has arrived," Havoc spoke as he walked in the house, staring in surprise at the sight before him

Edward was being sat on my Alexander, who was being pet by Isabella who could be anymore proud of the dog than she was now with a smile on her face, an obnoxiously laughing Elizabeth who was pointing at Edward being sat on, with Nina kneeling beside him as she hugged her pet, and Alphonse merely looking down at the scene with an exasperated but amused sigh.

Havoc asked, hands on his hip as he frowned confusedly at the blonde, "What are you up to down there, Ed?"

His voice was pained as he said, "Oh, uh...let's just say I'm taking a break from a long day of research." Isabella frowned when Edward pushed a reluctant Alexander off of him, having found the sight of Edward pinned by a dog utterly amusing.

"After all that research you must be dog-tired," Tucker commented before giving a small smile, causing Edward to gain a sour face.

Alex let out a small whimper and Isabella smiled and reached out and scratched behind his ears, causing him to let out an affection growl. Isn't he the cutest _thing_? _Awww..._

Elizabeth quickly latched forward and hugged the dog around the neck, squealing, "You are just so _cute_!"

Nina giggled and hugged Alexander as well, having to agree that her doggy was rather cute.

Tucker, seeing the exchange, gave another smile as he suggested, "Why don't you all come back tomorrow?"

Nina quickly released Alexander and looked around at the teenagers and the suit of armor, exclaiming excitedly, "You're really going to come again!?"

Alphonse raised a hand as he promised, smiling on the inside, "We'll play some more tomorrow, okay, Nina?" She nodded happily,

"'Kay! Promise!"

"Promise."

Nina even made him pink promise, and Isabella almost felt her heart break at the scene. Blinking the tears away, she swallowed and turned her head to look out the window.

As they walked out of the house, Edward with slumped shoulder might I add, Havoc turned to the door and said as he remembered, "Oh, Mr. Tucker, I almost forgot; I've got a message from you. It's from the Colonel. He says, "Don't forget, assessment day is coming soon."

Tucker's eyes hid behind his glasses and Isabella almost jumped when a hand slipped into hers, causing her to turn her head and stare at Elizabeth with confused eyes, seeing her bangs covering what it could of her face, a dark shadow cast over her eyes as if she was sad.

"Yes..." Tucker spoke, "Please assure him I know."

Isabella then realized what Elizabeth was so scared of-_Nina's death_, She thought, her blood running cold at the memory. How could she had forgotten?

Is there any way of preventing it without becoming a chimera themselves? Is there even a _way _to save her and Alexander?

Isabella hadn't the slightest clue and knew she only had a few days to figure out a plan.

...

"Hey, uh..." She swallowed, hesitating greatly as she tried to utter the one word she thought she'd never say to a person again, "D-Dad"," The pain had pierced her chest like a knife, ripping into her skin and stabbing her heart as a sad smile and a pale face with chocolate eyes smiled at her in her mind, "Can...Elizabeth stay with us for a few days? She's travelling with the Elric brothers but doesn't have a place to actually stay...She can sleep in my room."

Hughes smiled at her, not one to refuse a roof for someone in need, "Of course she can stay! I'm sure Gracia would love to have her come over, besides, the more the merrier! Oh, Elizabeth, right? You'll _love _Gracia's cooking-" Elizabeth barely had time to say anything as Hughes dragged her inside the house, talking his head off about his wife, his daughter Elicia, and his newest daughter "Isabella". "-They're just so _cute_!"

Isabella sweatdropped, only to let out a gasp when arms tackled her and wrapped themselves around her waist, nearly sending her toppling over as Gracia dangled from her body, "Big sister's back!" She cheered, extremely happy at the sight of the brunette, "Daddy, look! Bella came home!"

She smiled warmly at her "Younger sister", clearly caring deeply about the girl she has come to think of as family-_true _family, "I'm always going to come home, 'Lia," She told her, not fully realizing what she had just came to accept, "Never know when, but I will. _That _you can count on."

Elizabeth froze and looked at Isabella with wide eyes, as she had manage to escape the grip of Maes Hughes and entered the living room to get back to her twin, overhearing those words.

Isabella felt someone staring at her and turned her head, ignoring the feel of Elicia releasing her and hugging her around the legs instead, and locked gazes with Elizabeth. She realized what she had come to terms with.

She didn't plan on leaving.

_That's not right... I have to leave. I have my brother and sister to get back to, my-my mother... _Yes, the one who's been lying to you since birth. You're dead over there anyway, the "Other You" didn't survive the transaction. They probably already had a funeral.

You were six feet in the ground, just like your father is. You're _blood _father.

"Sissy? Big sister, what's wong?" Isabella removed her gaze from Elizabeth to look down at Elicia in confusion, "Why are you cwying?"

Elicia raised a hand and pointed a small finger at Isabella's face, at the tears that were streaming silently down her cheeks.

"Pwease don't cwy...You're pwettier when you smile."

Realizing that if she really _did _decide to go with the Elric brothers, to fight and travel with them, she might not come back and that she had just made an empty promise. Quickly wiping the tears from her face with her sleeve, she knelt down in front of Elicia and grabbed her gently by the shoulders, saying, "Listen, Elicia, if there's a day where...where Daddy and I don't come home, don't cry, okay? Be strong for me?"

Elicia furrowed her eyebrows cutely in confusion, "Why wouldn't you come home, sissy?"

Isabella gave her a small, slightly forced smile, "Just promise me. We love you, but if we don't, if _I _don't, promise me you won't cry? That you'll stay strong?"

She didn't want to be like her father. She didn't want to go after making an empty promise like he did. She _refused _to be a liar.

"No!" Elicia protested, reaching over and breaking out of Isabella's grip as she hugged the brunette's legs tightly, surprising her, "You and Daddy are gonna be here fowever! I won't wet you weave!"

"E-Elicia," The little girl was making this harder than this already was.

"No! Pwomise! Pwomise me you'll come back! _Pwomise_!"

So many emotions flashed through Isabella's face, that Elizabeth almost didn't process what it was. One was most prominent however, and that one stood out.

_Guilt. _

"O-Okay...I-I promise."

* * *

"Your mother left two years ago?" Alphonse questioned Nina, who was currently drawing with some crayons. It was just the Elric brothers, Nina and Alexander, and Isabella today, as Elizabeth had decided to stay home to try and think of ways to save Nina, while Isabella tried to help Nina have the best last few days of her life. Isabella had went through most of the night trying to figure out ways of trying to save Nina, but none of them seemed to work out correctly, so she only had five hours of sleep at the most.

"Uh-Huh," Nina nodded, explaining, "Daddy said she went back to live at her parents' house."

"Doesn't it get lonely with just you two in the house?" Isabella questioned, looking up from the piece of paper she was drawing on with a pencil. She had to have Elizabeth transmute her one, as they apparently had _zero to none _pencils in Amestris. "I mean, since it's this big and all?"

Edward was reading a book in his little corner by the bookshelves, listening as everyone spoke.

Nina shook her head, leaning against Alexander the great white dog, "Mmm, Not really." She then giggled as she wrapped her arms around Alexander's neck, "Daddy's so nice! Plus, I've got Alexander to play with, too." She ruffled the fur on his head for a few seconds before frowning and burying her face in his fur, her eyes becoming glazed over with hidden pain and sadness that only a child could feel from parent neglect, "But lately, Daddy's been studying in his lab all the time..." Edward lifted his gaze from the book, staring at Nina as she closed her eyes, "I guess that does make me feel a little bit lonely..."

_"Whatcha doin', Daddy?" Isabella asked curiously as she skipped into her parents' bedroom, finding him Googling something that read "Heart diseases" and "Heart cancers" and reading books about different types of infections. "What's "T-Tub...Tubuc..." She couldn't pronounce. _

_"Tuberculosis"," Her father corrected gently with a smile, "It's a type of lung disease which causes you to cough up blood," Isabella made a face and he chuckled, "But it isn't exactly the one I'm looking for."_

_"Then what are you lookin' for?" She asked curiously, confusion etching onto her childish face, "Empymia?" _

_"Emphysema, and no, I'm look for a type of heart disease, La-La." She blinked in confusion before giggling, _

_"Why would you be looking for that?" _

_"Well, I **am **a doctor-in-training," He told her with a smile, "I do need to learn about diseases." However, despite the warm smile he gave her that was filled with love, she couldn't help but notice the pain and sadness that his normally jovial eyes held. _

_"Daddy...What's wrong?" He frowned, silent for a moment before reaching over and kissing her forehead, _

_"Nothing, La-La, nothing. Daddy's perfectly fine." _

_Why was he saying he was fine when he acted so sad? _

Isabella's fists clenched at the memory and she inhaled deeply, trying to control herself. That was years ago, she should be over his death by now.

The pain numbs over time, but sometimes it can come back worse than what it was before.

The brunette jumped when Edward suddenly slammed his book shut and stood up stretching as he yawned loudly. Placing a hand on his right hip and his other on the left side of his head, he pulled on his muscles as he complained, "My shoulders are killing me!" He started to move high right arm in circles, his left hand on his right shoulder.

Alphonse suggested as he tried to be helpful, "Maybe you should move around some brother?"

"Yeah, not a bad idea, Al!" Edward agreed, and Isabella could hear the creaking of his automail as he moved it around. Isabella didn't know if it needed to be oiled if it was supposed to sound like that, which made her question if that was how hers sounded all the time when she stretched. Edward stood up straight and pointed at Alexander as he said, "Hey! You mangy mutt!"

Alexander stood up and barked, causing Nina to stand in surprise and loosen her grip.

"Looks like you could use some exercise!"

Isabella couldn't help but ask sarcastically, "Wherever did you get that idea, blondie?"

"Shut up!" Edward barked at her, frowning at the girl. He didn't miss the sad look she had on her face earlier, and he also didn't miss the fact that she tried to hide her emotions. He didn't give a single damn about the girl, what goes on in her mind or whatever possibly happened in her past that caused her to act like how she is, he just didn't like the sad atmosphere the room seemed to take. If she wanted to be depressed, that was her problem to deal with, he's only there to help train her in defense, not to be some "therapist".

Alphonse chuckled at the pair, closing his book in a gentler fashion that his brother, "Let's go, too, Nina, Isabella."

Isabella sighed melodramatically, before giving out a huge yawn as she laced her fingers together as she stretched out her arms and legs in front of her, "_Ow-!" _She yelped when she felt something in her knee pop painfully, before relaxing as laziness took over, "I would but...I'm so tired now..."

"Come on, get up, already!" Edward snapped, placing his hands on his hips as he gave her a look, "I'm getting tired _really _quickly of that attitude of yours!"

A feeling of childish laziness washing over her, she whined as Edward stepped in front of her, "But I don't _wanna~!_"

"Up."

"No..."

"Do it!"

_"No!" _

"Al..."

"Brother..."

"Fine, I'll do it myself!" He grumbled, slightly hypocritical as he didn't feel like pulling the girl up to her feet. Reaching down her gripped her by the wrists and pulled her easily onto her feet, sending her stumbling as he quickly moved out of the way and released her, watching as she nearly tripped into a bookshelf. "Ha!"

She caught herself just in time, her nose inches away from the shelf. Letting out a sigh of relief, she relaxed, only to tense and glare angrily at Edward who was smirking triumphantly at her. "Why _you_..." She didn't have a word to describe, she just wanted him to feel pain.

Hence why they ended up on the floor with their hands wrapped around each other's necks.

Nina stared with wide eyes, shocked and surprised at the turn of events, only to laugh as she watched the two wrestle with Alphonse trying to separate them.

The feeling she had of loneliness had started to fade, instead being replaced by a feeling of comfort and warmth.

"Guys-Stop it!" Alphonse cried out, lifting them both up by their collars, lightning flashing between the two teens.

It was official. Isabella _hated _blondes. Well, okay, the only blonde she hated was Edward, but still. Point being, he's a jerk. She doesn't like him. Alphonse was always her favorite.

Okay, lie again. She found Edward's reactions amusing.

Alexander seemed to have read her thoughts, for he barked in agreement before jumping up and knocking Edward out of Alphonse's grip, sitting on the raging blonde who wouldn't stop scream as he thrashed underneath the fat canine.

Isabella let a crooked grin form on he face as she stared at the White Sheppard, exclaiming with stars in her eyes, "I _love _this dog!"

...

Isabella sat on the ground, her back leaning against the tree with her eyes closed as she listened to the sounds of Edward, Nina, and Alexander playing, their happy laughter echoing in her head as she sat by her lonesome.

_I wonder what Dilan and Lillian are up to...Hopefully they haven't blamed each other for my "death"...That poor girl, _The "Other Her" was dead, and all because Truth had decided to try and switch them out. _She didn't deserve that kind of death... Maybe she's alive? _She quickly diminished that thought, knowing that if she even tried to hope it would get crushed in the end and she'd end up even more broken than her heart was.

Maybe that's why she was always alone.

She never played sports, she was always picked last for teams, she was constantly bullied and had her things taken away by those snobs who thought they were better than everyone. The sobs who picked on those different religions, colors, sexuality, _anything _they didn't do the same as them they picked on people for. Isabella was picked on because she was cold and violent, because her father was dead and her mother had slight mental issues and kept her distance by locking herself in the house all the time and leaving Dilan, Lillian, and herself to handle all the housework and shopping.

Dilan had to get a part-time job at Wendy's, while Lillian worked at Krogers. Dilan did the cooking and the cleaning, while Lillian did the laundry and shopping, and Isabella was left to make sure the house didn't burn down while they were working and to check on mother to make sure she didn't snap and do anything stupid.

She remembered the scar on her back and tensed, only to shake her head. It was a one-time thing anyway, she merely had too much to drink. Thus, why Isabella made sure to keep all possibly future booze money away from the woman-though she was still confused on how she even _got _it anyway.

Dilan must have felt guilty for something. _No, he gave her the money because he wanted her to get herself something nice..._She remembered now. He told her and hugged her after apologizing profusely about how it had been his fault that she was hurt, when it wasn't. It was her own fault. She wasn't able to dodge in time.

Depression can do things to people, and drinking alcohol-especially for someone who can't hold their liquor well- was one of them. She didn't blame her mother. Isabella almost killed herself once in depression. It was a natural, if not unfortunate, reaction.

"Hey, snap out of it, dumbass!" She jumped and looked up startled into irritated gold eyes, "Who the hell you think you are, sitting here while _we're _running around and wasting energy? Get your lazy ass up-better yet," She stared with surprised eyes as he clapped his hands and transmuted his hand into a clipper-type thing that people use to grab things that are too far away. She didn't know the actual title of it, "Think of this as "Lesson Number One". Train your _reflexes!_" He didn't even give her a warning as he lunged forward with his metallic arm, causing Isabella to scream and roll to the side as she nearly got her head smashed in.

Stumbling as she crawled away, attempting to stand on her feet before she took off running, Edward chased after her with evil laughter.

"I'm gonna get you, brat! Look out, here I come!"

"St-Stay back!" She screamed, running out of breath quickly. She was _so _out of shape.

"Brother, careful!"

"Al-Alphonse! Help m_ee_-!" She screamed as she tripped over a rock, tumbling onto the ground harshly. A flash of blonde whirled in her vision and she couldn't even blink before she found herself pinned to the ground, Edward hovering above her with his "Clipper" close to her throat with a triumphant smirk on her face. "Damn it-" She tried to lean her head back away from Edward, staring slightly intimidated at the "clipper" that was held up to her neck. "I hate you."

"I win and _you're _dead."

"Shut up." She huffed, turning her head in defiance as he pulled away. Once he was standing and Isabella was sitting up, she reeled her right automail leg back and kicked him as hard as she could in his flesh one. He screamed and fell on his side, not expecting it.

Alphonse spoke in amusement, trying to ignore the worry he felt for his brother even though he knew the blonde deserved it, "Lesson Number Two". Take the Enemy by Surprise."

"Al! You're supposed to be on _my _side! Not the she-devil's!" Edward complained, pointing angrily at Isabella as she laughed at him. There grew a silence in which everyone stared at her, causing her to frown.

"What?"

"You laughed...like a girl." Edward stated in shock, staring dumbly at her.

"Yeah," Alphonse added, just as shocked, "You weren't acting cold."

Isabella was suddenly propelled forward when Nina tackled her from behind, giggling, "Big sister laughed!"

Edward started to laugh, only to be silenced by Alexander when he was pushed rudely to the ground as he ate dirt. Everyone laughed at the blonde.

...

It was at least five hours before Tucker pulled them inside the house, seating them at the kitchen table.

Not long after, he began to explain, "Before I earned my State Alchemist Certification, our life was terrible. We were so poor in those days. My wife couldn't stand the days living that life, so she left us." Isabella frowned, her eyes drifting over to stare at Nina, who was currently petting Alexander, with sad eyes.

Her mother didn't leave her. Her mother was killed.

"I can't afford to fail this assessment." He continued, "I don't want to ever go back to those days again-I don't think I _could_." Something in his voice shook the brunette the wrong way, telling her that he _refused _to go back, he'd do anything to not let it happen.

"Don't worry, Daddy, it's okay!" Nina spoke encouragingly as she turned suddenly to raise a fist in confidence, causing him to turn to look at her in surprise. She smiled widely at him, "If those people tell you "no", me and Alexander will growl at them until they say "Yes"!" Alexander barked in agreement, while Alphonse laughed.

"You tell them, Nina!"

Isabella nodded, forcing a smile on her face, "Yeah..."

Tucker was silent for a few moments, before smiling at his daughter-the smile _anything _but warm, "Hey, Nina, I got an idea; You want to play with Daddy tomorrow?"

Isabella sincerely hoped Elizabeth had an idea by now. She watched painfully as Nina's eyes sparkled as they grew wide, her smile _beaming _as she stared excitedly up at her father.

"_Really_!?"

"Yeah," He told her, only to gasp when she suddenly ran up and jumped, tackling him and hugging him around the neck.

"Woo-Hoo! Alexander, Daddy says he's going to play with us tomorrow!" She told the Sheppard, smiling widely. The dog barked happily, and Edward smiled at the scene, Alphonse doing the same in his mind, while a bittersweet smile formed on Isabella's pale face.

_Please have come up with something. _

...

"PLEASE tell me you have an idea!"

Elizabeth raised her hands in the air in a defensive position, exclaiming, "Of course I do! I'm gonna sneak in _way _early in the morning and kidnap Nina."

"...What?"

"It's that or kill Tucker, and I don't know about you, but I don't feel like being a murderer."

"But you feel like becoming a kidnapper?"

"Well, what _else _do you have in mind, _hmm_?"

"I already thought of kidnapping her, but I didn't want to go to jail!"

"Well, you aren't the one going to jail then, 'cause I'm going to save her!" Isabella grounded her teeth together and clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"You...are... _infuriating! _I want to save her as much as you, but we can do it by being kidnappers! We can't raise a four-year old on our own! What'll we do, lock in the closet and "Eat in my bedroom"?"

"...Maybe."

Isabella face-palmed, muttering, "Dumbass..._at least think things through!" _She snapped before raising a fist and whacking her upside the head, "Don't be an _idiot_!"

Hughes voice called from downstairs, worriedly, "Is everything alright up there?"

"Yeah, we're fine!" Isabella called back, not even turning her head as she glared at Elizabeth, "Sorry!"

"Alright, it's okay, but dinner will be ready in ten!"

"Got it!"

"Thank you, Mr. Hughes!" Elizabeth called.

"No problem-o!"

Isabella felt like slapping someone-specifically, _Edward_. He always deserved a nice slap to the face. He _seriously _did not just say that?

Elizabeth sighed, "Fine...I'll come up with another plan in the morning."

Isabella was already reaching over to her desk to grab her "Book of Ideas", "Better be a good one, cause I've though of sixty-three so far and none of them seem to work."

Elizabeth sweatdropped, "You actually spent that long thinking? How many hours of sleep did you get?"

"Four, I think." She replied, and Elizabeth then noticed the circles under her eyes.

* * *

"Just like Elizabeth to disappear on us," Edward huffed, arms crossed as Alphonse rang the bell, "Troublesome brat. I'm blaming you for her disappearance, you were supposed to look _after _her!"

Isabella snapped, glaring darkly at him, "It isn't _my _fault she decided to get up at the crack of dawn and vanish! So stop blaming me, idiot!"

"Stupid!"

"Blondie!"

"Brat!"

"Shortie-!"

"SAY THAT AGAIN-"

"Brother-" Alphonse grabbed his brother before he could tear apart a smirking Isabella apart. After a good five minutes, he calmed down. "There..." He released his grouchy mess of a brother and rang the bell, "Hello, Mr. Tucker!" He called, opening the door, "Thanks for having us again today!"

Isabella felt the blood drain from her face, her body running cold as she grew considerably pale.

The house was dark with very few lights on, the house seeming to be ominous.

"Huh?" Alphonse asked. Edward moved in front of his brother to get a better look, confused. They quickly moved in and walked down the hallways, searching the kitchen and bedrooms, before deciding to head to the laboratory.

Halfway there, Isabella froze, eyes catching sight of something she wished she hadn't seen. Edward stopped walking, slightly irritated at her for stopping.

"What is it _now_?" His voice oozed with annoyance and sarcasm. However, catching sight of her pale face and slightly shaking form, she raised a hand to point at the floor, which was stained with a liquid of sorts.

"Wh-Why is there _blood _on the floor?" She knew Tucker turned Nina and Alexander in a chimera, but what if the place Elizabeth vanishes too was... "Do you think someone-"

Edward was already running, Alphonse hot on his heels. Isabella turned her head in alarm and quickly took after them, running as fast as she could to catch up.

_If Elizabeth really was here-and she tried to stop Nina from becoming a chimera-what would have Tucker done to her-!?_

She was starting to panic. She had only known the girl for three days at the most, but she had grown on her.

"Mr. Tucker!" Alphonse called, voice worried.

"Nina! Hey, Nina! Mr. Tucker!" Edward shouted, making a sharp turn to the laboratory door and slamming it open, "Nina! Mr. Tucker!?"

The room was dark, but the hallway gave enough to light to reveal Tucker and a creature with fur and a chestnut mane flowing down it's back from it's head with a chestnut colored tail.

Alphonse sounded relieved, "There you are!"

"What's with the blood? Did someone get hurt?"

"Where's Nina?" Isabella questioned after Ed, getting straight to the point, "And Elizabeth?" She received confused glances from Edward and Alphonse, but ignored them. She felt a slight twinge of fear go down her spine when Tucker turned his gaze onto him, his glasses glaring in the light. Edward inhaled sharply, not liking that look on the man's face.

"I did it, children, I did it. A chimera that understand _human _speech." Isabella tried her best not to look horrified and disgusted at what the man had done as she stared at the combined form of Alexander and Nina, _horrified _at what he had down to his _daughter_. His own_ flesh and blood_.

In the distance, she could hear some thunder clapping.

Tucker beckoned them to come closer, and after some hesitation, they did, Isabella straying behind Edward and Alphonse. "Here, let me show you," He knelt down in front of the chimera and said, "Listen to me, that person over there-that's Edward."

"That person...Ed...ward?" Isabella tried to ignore the chills going through her body as it spoke, wanting to cry and beat Tucker up all at the same time.

Tucker praised it, scratching it's head with a twisted smile, "Yes, that's very good! Well done!"

"That's amazing!" Edward exclaimed, "It can actually talk?" He knelt down beside he chimera, smiling with amazed and impressed eyes.

Tucker let out a slightly deranged laugh, standing up as wobbling as he slouched, "Now I don't have to worry about losing my certification!"

Isabella felt her fists shaking at her sides, the tears welling up in her eyes-too pissed and pained to even try to hold them back. Grounding her teeth together, she demanded quietly, "Where is Elizabeth?"

Tucker paused, turning his head to look at her from behind his glasses, "I'm sorry?" Something dangerous loomed in his eyes, something dark lingering that she didn't want to name. "Did you say something?"

The chimera cut in, speaking as it stared intently at Ed, "That person...Edward. That person Ed...ward. That person Edward. Big Brother Ed?"

The light in Edward's eyes vanquished instantly, instead being replaced with horror at the realization of what the chimera was _made _from. The blood...Nina and Alexander were missing, Elizabeth was missing as well...His certification was received and his wife left...

Everything started to connect themselves in his mind as he stared into the blank, but intelligent eyes of the chimera.

Glaring darkling at Tucker, Isabella demanded as she raised her voice, "I said, "Where is _Elizabeth_!?" _  
_

She knew there was no hope for Nina and Alexander. What was done was done, but if Elizabeth was still alive and _not _a chimera...then perhaps...

There was another clap of thunder in the distance, and Ed's quiet voice spoke, "Mr. Tucker...When did you first get your State Certification?" His voice shook, despite his attempts to keep it calm and natural.

"I don't know anything about your friend, but I can answer that...It was...two years ago."

"And when did your wife leave you?"

Tucker sounded more saddened by this one, but both Edward and Isabella knew this was an act, "That was two years ago, too."

"I just have one more question for you...Nina and Alexander..." His voice took on a demanding, angry tone as he turned his head to give the darkest glare he had given anyone in that moment to Tucker, "_Where are they?" _

Alphonse gasped, the realization hitting him as he stared at the chimera.

Tucker turned his head to glare at Edward, his eyes having the look of a madman, "Damn brat, figuring it out so quickly." He didn't have time to blink before Edward had lunged forward and grabbed him by the collar, pushing him and slamming his back against a wall as he pressed his left arm against Tucker's throat, _pissed_.

"Brother!" Alphonse gasped, alarmed, and Isabella quickly turned her head at the sound of muffled screaming. It was hard to focus with everything happening so quickly,

"Oh, yeah, I figured it out! You did it again! Two years ago, it was your _wife!_" Edward growled, practically screaming behind clenched teeth. Isabella took a few steps around the room, trying to figure out where it was coming from. The muffled screaming grew louder and it started to sound like crying. "This time, you used your own _daughter _and her _dog _to transmute a talking _chimera!_" His tone became scorned and bitter, sickly sarcastic, "You can only do _so much_ you can do with _animals,_ after all! It's so much _easier _when you start with a _human_; isn't that right!?"

She found the muffled screaming and crying coming from a cage covered with a yellow blanket. Pulling it off, she stared with horrified eyes at a crying, beat-up Elizabeth.

She had a black eye and multiple cuts and bruises on her face, a gag wrapped around her mouth to muffle her screams and cries, roped tied around her to prevent her from escaping or moving around inside the cage, it slight bloodstained as there was a knife wound in her side that was poorly patched up with an old shirt and some ducktape. She was pale and her hair was a mess, clinging to her skin as salty wet tears stained her sickly pale face.

Tucker gave a strained laughed, "I don't see what you're so upset about! This is how we progress!" He gave Edward a twisted grin as his glasses dangled off his nose, "Human experimentation is a necessary step; I should think a _scientist _would understand!"

"_Shut up!_" Edward screamed, shaking his head as he returned to glaring, tightening his grip against Tucker's throat and shirt collar. "Do you _really _think you can get _away _with this!? Messing around with someone's life like that...Your own _daughter!?_"

Tucker was sick. He was a sick, twisted, madman who had long lost his humanity.

Isabella tried to open the cage, but found that you needed a key. Turning to Alphonse as panic grew inside her, she cried out, "Al! I need you!" The suit of armor turned his head and stared in shock and horror at Elizabeth's beaten and restrained form, "It needs a key and I-I don't-"

Al wasted no time in running over and using his strength to bend the bars wide enough to pull Elizabeth out.

"Someone's life you say!?" Tucker asked when he saw Edward turn his head to look at what Isabella and Al were making a fuss about, eyes growing wide at the sight only to redirect his even angrier attention onto Tucker, "Haha, you'd know _all _about that, wouldn't you? Look at you, Fullmetal Alchemist, look at your arm, your leg, your _brother_! Those things are also the result of messing around with someone's life, aren't they? Your little friend tried to stop me from messing with Nina's and look at where that got her? She can't even _move_!" He laughed madly, clearly insane and without remorse.

Ed snapped, screaming as he reeled his right arm back and punched Tucker as hard as he could in the face, _"SHUT UP!" _

Tucker laughed as his glasses flew off his face and broke as it hit the ground, crying out as he fixed his psychopathic gaze onto Edward, "We _are _the same! We're the same! You're just like me!"

"We're _not_-"

"Oh, but _yes_, we _are_!" Tucker cut in, grinning sickly.

Isabella started to untie the ropes around Elizabeth, flinching as the rope scraped her fingertips and hurt her hands. Alphonse pulled the gag off, causing the girl to cough and spout out a little blood from when she was hit in the face. She continued to cough, falling forward once Isabella got the ropes undone. The brunette reached forward and caught the injured girl, pulling her onto her lap as she turned her head to look at the scene with Ed and Tucker.

"The opportunity was _right_ in_ front_ of us, and we took _it_! We _had _to, even though we knew it was against the rules!"

"_No! NOT ME! Alchemists don't-do that!" _With each sentence, Edward gave Tucker another punch, eventually causing the man to get a bloody nose and loose a few teeth. Isabella leaned back in surprise when Elizabeth weakly pushed herself from the brunette, stumbling as she limp/ran over to Edward just as he screamed as he went to punch Tucker again, _"I'm not-" _

Isabella couldn't take it anymore-she screamed, _"STOP IT!" _Elizabeth tripped, only to be caught by Alphonse's who lurched forward and gripped his brother's fist,

"If you keep this up, he'll die!"

Edward was trembling with rage, still trying to get his fist out of his brother's grip so he could beat Tucker up so more. Narrowing his eyes as he ground his teeth together, he froze when he felt something pull on his jacket hem. He went from angry to pained and horrified in a second, staring at Nina with pitiful eyes that mourned. Alphonse, seeing that he wasn't going to hurt Tucker anymore, released Edward's fist and stepped back, lifting the beaten Elizabeth up in his arms.

"Edward...No." The Chimera said, staring up at him with it's blank eyes. It turned it's gaze onto Tucker, eyes almost seeming sad as it watched Tucker's form slide down the wall as Edward released him, "Daddy...do you...hurt? Daddy?"

"N-Nina..." Isabella whispered, the tears welling up in her eyes as she crawled over to the dog-girl chimera. "Oh, my god, Nina, what have I done?" She didn't try anything. She was too cowardly to risk her life to save her. She was _weak_. She let a _little girl _**_die_ **because of her cowardice.

What kind of person would do that?

"I'm sorry..." She whispered, hiccuping slightly as she felt the tears fall, "I'm so sorry...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry...I should've been here-I should've-No, I'm so sorry, I can't...You can't go back to..." Isabella leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the chimera's neck, burying her tear-stained face in it's fur as she cried, "I'm so sorry, Nina...Alexander...I'm sorry."

Alphonse stared down at Nina, crying on the inside as he knelt beside her, "I'm sorry, even with all our power, we can't do anything to change you back...I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." The red lights he had for eyes seemed to dim.

"Can we play...now?" Nina and Alexander asked, "Can...Can we play now? Can we play now?"

Isabella's shoulders trembled as he grip around the chimera's neck tightened, "Oh, Nina...I'm so sorry..."

"I made it just in time," Tucker's voice snapped her out of her mourning, causing rage to flood through her as she released the chimera, standing to her feet silently as she calmly raged. "I get to remain a State Alchemist." She turned her head to lock her scornful, angered, _disgusted _eyes onto Tucker's beat and bloody form that was sitting against a wall as he stared happily at his State Alchemist watch, "I passed!"

Seeing Ed about to snap again, she stood in front of him and locked eyes, asking, "Ed?" She only said his name, but that seemed enough to cause him to squeeze his eyes and turn his head, nodding.

She quickly stormed over to Tucker, ripped the watch out of his hands and as he turned to look at her, knocked him down onto his side and pushed him onto his back as she pressed a foot a against his chest, dangling the watch in front of his face as he tried to grab it.

"See this?" She asked with deep frown and an angered glare, "You _can't have it_!" She threw it as hard as she could at the wall next to her, flinching as bits of metal broke off and flew everywhere. "You're a _fucking psychopath_ and you don't _deserve the title of Alchemist!" _Her shoulders trembled in rage and it took all her willpower to not go off at him then and there. She removed his foot from his chest and watched as he pathetically sat up and crawled over to the watch, picking it up and curling into a ball as he cradled it, talking about him "Passing".

Edward growled, pained, "Like _hell_ you're staying a State Alchemist..._like Hell.__" _Someone like him...not even the _devil _would want a man like _him_ in Hell.

"Can we...play now?" Nina and Alexander asked, causing both pissed of teens to turn to look at the chimera with pained expressions. Edward stared at Nina with that expression on his face before looking at the ground with his eyes shut and screaming as loud as he could.

Isabella wanted to do the same, but instead, she ground her teeth together and punched the wall with her metal hand as hard as she could, scraping it.

...

"If there ever was an example of the devil's work in this world," Hawkeye commented as she and Mustang walked down the steps of East City's Headquarter's building, "this case would definitely be it."

Elizabeth was currently in the hospital, getting treatment for her wounds. She would be in there for quite a few weeks, according to the Doctors. But, she wasn't the only one in pain.

Everyone was hurt. Everyone was in pain, everyone, Edward and Alphonse and Isabella _and _Elizabeth were all mourning.

And three of them were sitting on the steps as the rain poured down on them, soaking them to the bone and mixing their tears with the rain.

"The devil, huh?" Mustang questioned his lieutenant. "A State Alchemist must be willing to act, able to take another's life when ordered without questioning. In some ways, Mr. Tucker's actions and our own may not be all that far apart, when it comes to interfering with other people's lives. We choose our own path, knowing full well what we're doing. That's the way it is, right, Fullmetal?" Mustang asked as he and Riza stopped walking.

Ed's arms were crossed and resting on his knees, his head hanging low as his bangs fell in his face.

"You will more than likely come across cases like this again in the future," Mustang told the boy who didn't speak, "And you may end up having to get your own hands dirty, as well." The two started to walk again, "Are you gonna shut down like this every time?"

She was a coward, she was weak, she couldn't give up her own life to save Nina. Elizabeth could, and Isabella envied her for that. Isabella was selfish-she didn't want to die. Not now. Not even when it came to saving a four-year old girl.

A _child_.

The tears welled up in her eyes against and she bit back a sob, raising her hands to cover her mouth as her shoulders shook.

This wasn't like her. She was the one who people depended on, she wasn't the one who depended on other people. Yet, for as long as she's been here, that's seems to be all she has been doing.

_Crying and being weak. _

Edward spoke softly, hugging himself tightly, "We may be called dogs of the military...we may even be cursed as devils. It doesn't _matter_. Al and I are still going to get our bodies back, we know the _truth_." His grip tightened on his red coat as Riza and Mustang stopped to look at the boy, "We know we're know _devils_. We know we're not _gods_..." His voice trembled slightly as he stood, "We're _human...__WE'RE ONLY HUMAAAAAN!" _He screamed, looking up into the sky before looking down at the ground.

"She-She was only _four_." Isabella whispered, horrified at Nina's death and at herself-her cowardice to save someone.

"We can't even do anything to save one _innocent _little girl..." He inhaled sharply, breathing growing uneven as he tried to hold back a sob, "So, what good are we _then_?"

The tears streamed down her face and she cried.

Nina didn't deserve to be one.

Alexander didn't deserve it.

Neither deserved it, neither deserved to become a chimera.

The rain continued to pour as the thunder clapped relentlessly in the distance, giving no mercy to those caught in its storm.

**EXTREMELY LONG CHAPTER TO MAKE UP FOR IT! SLIGHT CRAPPY, SLIGHT SAD, SLIGHTLY HAPPY-PLEASE DON"T KILL ME AND REVIEW! They make me smile. :) Thirteen thousand something' words in this chapter.**


	5. When Blame and Scars Reveal Themselves

"Why did you do it?" Isabella asked softly, staring down at the unconscious form of Elizabeth as she lay in the hospital bed, an I.V connected to her arm. "Why did you go?" Her fists clenched at her sides as she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling them start to sting. It was all her fault; everything that happened was because she was too cowardly to do anything. What kind of decent _human being _would _do _such a thing?

She should've been there in Elizabeth's place, but she was too scared. Nina and Alexander were now a chimera because of her. She couldn't _do _it.

"It's all my fault..." Her grip on the bouquet in her hands tightened and she dropped it on Elizabeth's bed, pained and angry. She was angry at herself, and pained because of everything that had happened-Nina and Alexander's transformation, Elizabeth's current injured state...

_Damn it! Why am I so weak-why can't I __**do**__ anything? _She was so weak.

Elizabeth stirred, a pained look forming on her face as her eyelids fluttered before relaxing, any chances of waking up leaving for the time being. She was as good as asleep now.

"You _shouldn't _have been there," Isabella muttered to herself, narrowing her eyes, "It was like a "Fixed Point", there was nothing you could do to change it...So _why_-?" Her voice cracked and she felt the tears start to well up in her eyes. Her shoulders shook slightly, whether from the tears or just her anger she didn't really know, "Why do you _do _this?"

She had only met the girl four days ago, but it was enough time for both her, Nina, and Alexander to grow on her.

"Hey, you okay, Liz?" She felt a hand on her shoulder as Hughes' voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She nodded slowly, not looking at him.

"Yeah..."

Hughes was a silent for a few moments before saying, "It wasn't your fault, you know. You couldn't have known it was going to happen; there was nothing you could have done to stop it."

Something wet fell onto her clenched fist as she raised it up to her face, wiping at the tears that started to stream mercilessly down her face.

_I **did **__know_. She thought as she bit her lip, feeling them curl back slightly as she started to cry. Her shoulders shook as she started to rub her face with her jacket sleeves, trying to stop the flow of tears, _That's the thing...I **knew**._ She could have stopped it, but she didn't.

Isabella is a coward. She acts tough to hide it, to hide her weakness, but it was true. And right now, at this point in time, she was most vulnerable.

Hughes, being the loving father that he was, moved over and embraced her, holding her close to him as he rested a hand against her back and another against her head.

Isabella didn't hug back, she just stood there and accepted the comfort Hughes tried to give her. Despite how much she normally would have protested, how much she would normally deny it, she _really _needed a hug.

...

Which was why she surprised herself by telling Hughes that she wanted to just walk home rather than take the car, explaining her current situation as to why she was soaked to the bone in the rain in the first place.

Somehow, she found herself in the town square where Edward and Alphonse were sitting on a fountain ledge, looking utterly depressed. She started to walk forward, the feel of the rain hitting her face only adding more sorrow to her already pained heart. Neither seemed to have noticed her, both looking up at a man with silver hair and sunglasses, an x-shaped scar on his forehead making him look even more menacing than what his tall and bulky build made him seem already. Who he was didn't seem to register in her mind. It was only when she opened her mouth to greet the brothers and when the man reeled his hand back did she realize who he was.

Screaming his name, she quickly reeled forward and tackled Edward out of the way, him yelling as the two crashed against the ground.

Alphonse seemed to have shouted, his voice a distant though, Edward's and her own names echoing in the distance despite how close the suit of armor actually was. Isabella quickly rolled off of Edward, realizing that she need to move or else both she and Edward would be done for, and the blonde quickly clapped his hands and rolled over as he slammed his hands onto the ground as Scar lunged forward, a giant stone wall growing out of the ground and taking the hit.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Edward demanded as Isabella stood, stumbling as she tried to regain her balance. The wall exploded into chunks of boulder and rocks, flying everywhere. The smoke cleared and they were met with the glaring face of Scar.

Edward seemed unable to move, trembling, as he stared up at Scar. Scar flexed his hand and curled his fingers menacingly, preparing to strike. At the sight, realizing that he needed to do something, shouted as he pushed himself up and turned, stumbling as he started to run, "Let's go! Run for it!"

"On it!" Isabella screamed, attempting to run in this weather, her feet clapping against the wet concrete. A clumsy person and wet concrete isn't a very good combination in a fight. "GAH! Stairs!" She shouted in protest, hating the things with a passion as she power-walked down them, right behind Edward and Alphonse who were running as fast as they could down them, "This shouldn't be possib-_le-!_" There was an explosion from above them, rubble flying everywhere as Scar landed in front of them with a stern glare.

"No you don't." He spoke and his right arm glowed blue, electricity crackling around it before it shot into the ground, trailing up the stairs and causing it to explode. The trio started to fall, screaming, and was only saved due to Alphonse's quick reaction of reaching out and grabbing onto the ledge of what was left of the stairs, his other hand latching onto Edward's ankle. Edward almost missed her, but managed to grab Isabella's hand in time just before she fell to her doom. She screamed, looking down in horror at the sight below.

It was so far down, and if Edward had missed just by a _second_ she would've been nothing but blood and guts and a broken bag of bones. Fear coursed through her veins and the tears welled up in her eyes. Biting her lip, she latched her fingers tightly around Edward wrist before reaching up with her other hand and latching onto his arm, frightened.

She didn't want to die.

She heard Edward gasp and moved her gaze, eyes widening at the sight of Scar's hand against a brick wall with blue electricity crackling against it. The ledge Alphonse was holding onto exploded into rubble, leaving them to fall and scream. They released each other and landed harshly against another case of stairs, Edward landing painfully on his knees before he his chest hit against the rail, Isabella landing on top of Al's back and rolling onto the staircase. She flinched and heard Edward shout,

"Al! Liz!" She quickly opened her eyes and sat up, watching him clap his hands, "Grab on!" He then slammed them down onto the rail, and Isabella quickly latched onto a niche in Al's armor, he being the closer thing to her, and screamed when the giant _pole _of cement came out of the ground and sent them flying-as if they were on a really, _really _fast railcar. Scar quickly destroyed the back of it, sending them and the pole sliding roughly onto the street. It broke completely and the three teenagers screamed as they tumbled and slammed against the concrete, Edward and Isabella sporting a few scraped and bruises while Alphonse gained multiple scratches on his armor.

Isabella was still screaming and flopping about while Edward and Al regained their balance, and it was up to Al to help her get back on her feet. He quickly ran over and lifted her up by her jacket hood, forcing her to stand. She screamed and practically skipped as she tried to slow herself down so not to crash into a wall.

"Damn it, what the hell is this guy's problem!?" Edward demanded, pissed, as they ran. "Making enemies isn't something that I-" He cut himself off, making a sour face, "Well, I never really _avoided _it-But," He looked behind him with wide eyes at Scar, "there's no reason why anyone should be trying to _kill _me!"

"Maybe you owed them a debt or something!?" Isabella suggested, the end of the hill coming and allowing her and the others to slow down a little, "I don't know-_what'd you do to piss him off!?_"

_Besides being a State Alchemist_, She thought in slight irritation.

"How the hell should I know!? Besides, I've never seen this guy before in my life!" He replied, turning into an alley with Alphonse and Isabella hot on his heels. "I think I'd remember a guy with a scar on his face!" He quickly shut his mouth and watched in alarm as blue electricity crackled against the walls and exploded, blocking the exit to the alley with rubble and smoke. They fell to the ground, Isabella coughing a few times from the inhaling of dirt and smoke.

"Gross!" She complained, before blinking and looked up in alarm to see Scar on the end of the alley. _Shit, we're screwed. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! _Fear grew on her face, despite how much she wanted to hide it, and quickly ground her teeth together and narrowed her eyes in an attempt to hide it. _Go away, go away, go away, go away! _

"Who are you anyway!?" Edward demanded, a hint of vulnerability growing in his voice, "And why are you after us!?"

He spoke, his deep voice reverberating down the alley, "As long as there are "Creators" like you in this world, there must also be destroyers."

Edward growled to himself, "Then it looks like we're going to have to fight..." He then told Isabella, not looking at her, "Liz, stay here."

She looked up in surprise, both at the nickname and at the order, "Wh-What? No-You're gonna get yourself _killed!_" She didn't know when she actually started to care about both of the brothers, as she and Edward never really got along, but maybe the death of the Nina and Alexander has finally gotten to her and told her that she should care more. You'd think, after her father's death, she'd be more caring rather than secluded, but all it really took was an innocent young girl and her dog... "Are you _stupid_!? God, you're worst than Mustang! You're both idiots!"

He gave her a glare, "Don't you go comparing me to that bastard, damn it! He's clearly not after you! He's after Al and me, so shut up and stay put so we can protect you! I'm not letting another innocent girl die!"

She looked at him in shock, _So that's it...He feels guilty. _Edward didn't want another person to die, not again, not so soon after Nina's death. As much as he hated to admit it, he wouldn't even let _her _die. Yeah, annoying as hell, but she was still a person. He_ wasn't_ a _murderer_.

He didn't wait for a response, instead asking his brother while looking at Scar who was still standing there, waiting for one of them to make a move, "Ready, Al?"

Alphonse stood, nodding his head, "Yeah." Edward clapped his hands, pressing on against a stray broken pole and turning it into a dagger with a jagged blade. He gripped the handle and stood, pointing it at Scar as he got into a stance.

Scar smiled coldly in amusement, "Gutsy one, aren't you?" He quickly flexed his hand as Edward charged, "But, too slow." He dodged Al's punch and Edward's slash, quickly turning and reaching out with a hand and pressing it against the side of Al's armor, causing it to explode.

Isabella could only look on in horror as Edward screamed his brother's name, bits of metal flying everywhere. Scar looked at Alphonse in shock, watching as Isabella ran over to the suit of armor in worry and fear. She quickly knelt down next to the armor and placed her hands on the ground, scared to touch him in case any more would break off, "Al? Alphonse, stay with us!"

"You _bastard_!" She quickly whirled her head around at Edward's scream, face paling at the realization of how close she was to Scar at the moment, before fear crossed her face at the sight of Edward blindly charging Scar. Scar quickly grabbed hold of the boy's right forearm, speaking,

"You're too slow." Blue light flashed in her vision and she watched red cloth fall in the air and Edward was tossed back, crashing onto his side roughly.

He cursed loudly as he pulled off his jacket, tossing it behind him, "Damn it!" Scar took a few steps towards him.

"An automail arm. That explains why my attacks didn't do the damage I expected."

Isabella ground her teeth together, cursing softly before look around for a weapon. When all she found was a bunch of rocks, she quickly slid off a shoe and screamed at Scar, "Stay _away _from him, damn it!" She quickly reeled her arm back as Scar turned to look at her, throwing the shoe and watching it him uselessly in the shoulder before falling against the ground.

His flexed his hand, fear coursing through her and showing on her face, as he growled, "Do not interfere." And started to move towards her, only to move when Edward charged, slinging his bladed arm down screaming,

"Get _back_ here, you _bastard! _Don't _touch _her!"

He spoke quickly, dodging Edward's attacks, "You press your hands together to form a ring of transmutation. Now I see," He reached out with a hand quickly and grasped his forearm again, causing the blonde's eyes to widen in horror, "Then I will have to start by destroying this abhorrent right arm of yours."

"Edward!"

"Brother!"

They watched as the automail exploded into chunks, metal and wires flying everywhere and Edward was sent flying back.

_No...He's-He's gonna die. We're all gonna die. Edward's gonna die. _Why is that everyone around her dies? Is she cursed? Is she bad-luck?

"Now you will not be able to use your heretic's alchemy." Edward gasped, looking alarmed at Scar as he tried to crawl backwards, only to slip and fall onto his side with his extra arm. "I will give you a moment to pray to god," Scar told him as he started to walk.

"Brother-Run away!" Alphonse screamed, reaching forward with a hand. "Brother!"

_He's...No. No, no, no...No...I-I refuse to..._ Her fingers twitched against the ground, and finally remembering a kunai that Hughes had given her for self defense, slowly into her holder on her belt and took it out, pale fingers wrapping around as she turned it around in her palm. Slowly she stood, trembling as fear etched itself across her face. She couldn't let him die. No one else needed to die. He didn't _deserve _to die. This wasn't right. _I...I won't...let anyone else... _

"Unfortunately," Edward muttered, clenching his fist from his spot on the ground, "There isn't any god that I'd like to pray to." She took a small step forward, hand shaking at the decision she was making, "Am I the only one you're trying to kill today? Or are you going after my brother and the girl, too?"

Scar turned his head, gaze locking onto Al and the girl who was trembling with fear, "If they interfere," He caught sight of the weapon and locked eyes with Isabella, causing her to freeze, "I will _eliminate _them." He turned his head again, looking at Edward this time and focusing only on him, "But, Fullmetal Alchemist, _you _are the only who's receiving judgment today. You alone."

"Okay, in that case..." He turned and locked a fierce, determined gaze onto Scar, "I want your _word_. Promise me you won't hurt _either _of them! Not my _brother_, _not _the girl. _Neither _of them are to face harm."

_Wh-What? _The kunai clattered to the ground and she fell to her knees, shocked. Isabella could hear Alphonse gasp.

"Brother..."

"I will keep that promise," Scar informed, nodding his slightly in agreement.

Alphonse tried to crawl over, failing, "No, brother, what are you trying to do? What are you thinking? Run!"

_He can't...why? Why, why, why, why, why? _She didn't understand. "Why doesn't he just..."

"Get up and run!" _Exactly. Why not? Why is he such an... _

"_IDIOT!_" She screamed, punching the ground furiously only to cry out in pain and pull her hand back, cradling it. "Get up already, _get up!_"

"Stop-don't touch him!" She couldn't take it anymore. It had to be done. "Don't... No..." Grabbing the kunai, she clutched it tightly and stood, looking out the ground darkly for a few moments before starting to walk towards Ed and Scar, "No! No, both of you, stop! STOP!" She started to run, raising the Kunai back as Scar's hand neared Edward's head, "_STOP IIIIIIIT!" _Scar quickly reached out with his other hand and grabbed Isabella's wrist, his other hand just _barely _ grazing Edward's head.

A gunshot rang out and Isabella dropped the kunai, staring fearful into the eyes of Scar.

A comforting familiar voice rang out, confident and in demand, "That's _enough_!" Scar quickly released Isabella, the girl dropping onto her knees against the ground beside Edward, the scar-bearing man turning to look at the newcomers. "You won't be killing anyone else today, Scar!"

"Mustang..." She muttered his name, looking on in shock.

The man continued, pointing his gun at Scar, "I'm taking you into custody, where you will answer for the murders of at least _ten _State Alchemist," Isabella's blood ran cold.

Scar stood up straight, saying, "Alchemist alter something from their natural form, perverting them to something else, something grotesque. They profane God, the true creator of all things...As an Agent of God, I am here to hand down his judgement. If you interfere, I will eliminate you as well."

Mustang quickly grew a cocky smirk, "Oh, is that right?" He handed Riza his gun, who protested. "You guys stay out of it."

"Colonel Mustang, sir!" Riza tried to protest, but he heard none of it. The rain was still pouring down, unrelenting. He started to walk forward.

"Colonel Mustang..." Scar repeated, before realizing, "So this is the Flame Alchemist." He flexed his hand, "Volunteering yourself to receive judgment, this is _truly _an auspicious day!" He declared, moving away from the two teens and running towards Mustang who was still walking with a confident look on his face. He was preparing to snap his fingers.

"So you know who I am and you _still _want to challenge me?" He asked, not sure whether to think this man brave or stupid. Mustang could burn him to a crisp if he wanted.

Riza started to run after Mustang.

"_Bad _decision," He snapped his fingers, looking surprise when all he got was a puff of smoke, and cried out in surprise when Riza kicked his legs out from under him just as Scar reached out to grab his face-Scar missing by inches as Mustang fell onto his back roughly on the ground. He had gasped comically at the sight of Scar glaring at him as he had fell.

Riza quickly took two pistols out and started to shoot repeatedly with the guns, causing the man to jump back and dodge. Scar quickly slid into an alley.

Mustang growled in annoyance, sitting up and demanding, "Hey, Hawkeye, what the _hell_ did you _do _thatfor!?"

With a completely straight face as she held the guns up, she said, "You know as well as I do, that you're useless on rainy days. Please stay back."

Green Bold words fell on Mustang's head, causing him to slump over, that read "Useless".

Havoc commented as he held a hand out, looking up as he watched the rain fall, "Oh, yeah, I forgot. It's kinda hard to get a spark going when it's raining, huh?"

Scar spoke, "It is fortunate that you can't create your blasphemous flames, State Alchemist!" He came out of hiding. "For I will destroy those who interfere with my mission, right here and now!"

"I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY IT!" A deep and masculine voice spoke from behind Scar, causing him to turn his head in alarm at the sight of the giant bald man with a small thick piece of curly hair curling over his forehead with a mustache. He managed to jump out of the way in time, barely missing the blonde man's attack.

_Armstrong...has popped up, huh? _Isabella tried to regain her thought process, now that she had mostly calmed down. Her memory was slight fuddle right now, in fact, she barely remembered anything at all other than the big parts and important characters.

Scar growled, "A newcomer!"

Armstrong spoke as he lifted his hand out of the rubble, "You have to be _quick _to avoid _my _fist...Not bad. Not bad at all. You said you were going to destroy us all," He said as he stood up straight, staring dead at Scar, "In that case, why don't you start by defeating _me_?"

People ran over to Isabella and Edward.

"We'll see how you fare against the Strong-Arm Alchemist, Alex Louis Armstrong!"

Scar said, "Yet another State Alchemist...God is truly putting them in my path for me."

"Not backing down?" Armstrong challenged, almost impressed, "In that case, your courage will earn you a demonstration!" He picked up a piece of rubble with his un-gauntlet hand. "I'll show you the art of alchemy that has been passed down the Armstrong family _FOR GENERATIONS!_" He even _sparkled_.

Isabella watched as Havoc helped Edward sit up, another man sitting next to him. Edward lifted his head and watched in surprise when Armstrong through the rubble into the air and when it came back down, hit it with all his might and sending it flying towards Scar. The rock quickly turned into an arrowhead, which would have penetrated Scar's skull had he not dodged by stepping to the side.

"Who is he?" Edward questioned in confusion. For a minute, Isabella wasn't sure who he was talking about; Armstrong or Scar.

Havoc answered, knowing the answer, "That's the same man who murdered Mr. Tucker and his daughter." Edward gasped and looked at him in alarm, while Isabella froze and inhaled sharply before turning her head to look at Havoc.

"What? What'd you just say?"

They were already dead? No...

He looked at her in surprise, asking, "Didn't you know? I thought Hughes had told you."

_That's what he meant when he said there was... _The tears welled up in her eyes before she could stop them. _She didn't deserve to die. _She knew there was no way to prevent it, Elizabeth's condition was proof of it, but she still had the foolishness to hope that Nina would be spared.

Explosions formed in the distance and Isabella heard Edward exclaim, "It's him!"

Havoc snapped, "Major, watch what you're doing! We don't want to destroy the city, do we?"

Armstrong looked at him with sparkles forming around him, "What do you mean!?" Isabella quickly screamed and covered her eyes with her right arm when his shirt vanished, "Destruction and Creation are both sides of the same coin! You must destroy to create! That is the law of the universe!"

Riza commented annoyed, "Did he have to strip?"

"Are you surprised?" Havoc asked dryly, sour looks on his and the faces, "He's clearly insane..."

"Hmph!" Armstrong huffed, "Non-Alchemists may fail to see the inherent truth of that statement; but we understand, don't we, Scar?"

Mustang look at Scar in alarm, "So this killer is an alchemist, too?"

"That's it!" Edward exclaimed, realization hitting him, "The stages with the transmutation process are construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction. This guy must just stop at the destruction phase."

"Oh, that's a lovely thought," Isabella commented sarcastically, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She ground her teeth together in annoyance, forcing herself out of her depressed state. She'd mourn later.

"But if Scar is an Alchemist as well," Havoc began in confusion, "doesn't that mean he's strayed from whatever his "The ways of God" are, as well?"

Armstrong sent another attack of rubble flying towards Scar.

"But what are all his reasons for targeting Alchemists with state certification?" Mustang questioned, frowning deeply. Nothing was adding up.

They watched Armstrong send many jabs towards Scar, who managed to dodge every single one of them. Soon, Scar was pinned against a brick wall, with Armstrong hovering over him.

"I have you _now_, Scar!" Armstrong made to attack, and Scar lunged to hit Armstrong's exposed side-only to watch in surprise as the blonde shot back. Scar turned to look, figuring something was wrong, and cried out when a bullet lodged in his shoulder. He dodged the next two, but one of the bullets hit his glasses and made them fall off of his face, revealing a pair of dark red eyes.

"You get him?" Mustang asked Riza, who had used a sniper. She lowered the gun and stated,

"He's too fast. I only grazed him with one shot."

"Red eyes and brown skin-" Armstrong gasped, eyes wide in horror and shock. "That means he's-"

Mustang exclaimed, realization for Scar's actions hitting him, "Of _course_! He's an Ishvalan!"

Scar muttered to himself, "Perhaps there are too many..."

Mustang raised a gloved hand, the rain finally slowing down, "You might as well give up now, Scar. You're not getting away."

Scar protested by slamming a hand down into the ground, electricity crackling and sending rubble flying everywhere as the ground exploded. Many soldiers screamed and panicked, backing up as they avoided getting hit by flying rocks. The smoke cleared, revealing that Scar had escaped and part of the street was destroyed.

"The bastard is in the sewers," Havoc stated, cursing. Mustang ordered,

"Stay put."

Havoc grinned, "Sure, you don't have to tell me twice."

Mustang apologized to the Strong-Arm Alchemist, who at least had the decency to put his jacket back on, "Sorry, Armstrong...But thanks for buying us enough time to surround him." The blonde shook his head.

"I was hardly buying time," He confessed, "It was all I could do to keep myself from being killed."

Hughes poked his head out from behind Mustang, looking over his shoulder, "Oh! Is it over now?"

Armstrong looked at him furiously. "Lt. Colonel Hughes, _where _have you _been _this whole time!?"

"I thought it best to lay low," He replied innocently.

Mustang snapped, a tick mark forming on his head, "You didn't think about _maybe _backing us up!?"

"Of _course _not!" He replied, offended, "A person like me shouldn't get dragged into a freak show with you pack of pseudo humans! It's bad for my health!" He then turned to his investigative team, "Don't just stand there, we've got things to do! Deploy troops! Circulate his description!"

**"Yes, sir!" **

Edward gasped, finally remembering, "Oh no, Alphonse!" He got up, stumbling as he ran over to his beat-up brother, "Alphonse!"

Isabella tensed, before sneezing as the rain finally stopped. She watched as Edward ran over to his brother, only to flinch when something warm and heavy draped over her head and shoulders.

"Hey, you okay down there, Lizzy?" She lifted her head to see Hughes smiling at her, despite the worry that etched itself onto his face. After a few moments hesitation, she nodded. She turned her head back to look at the brothers, speaking quietly,

"Yeah..."

Could she really do it? Face off against death as she travels with the Elrics? She was a coward, but was ready to maim Scar when he tried to kill Edward. Was she strong enough to fight and protect her friends? Wait, since when did she start thinking about them as friends? Hughes helped her stand, his hands remaining on her shoulders as Armstrong said,

"That suit of armor is Edward Elric's younger brother, is it?"

Havoc stated, frowning, "There's gotta be a really long story in this one," He said as he furrowed his eyebrows, wondering just what the hell these kids had gone through.

"Come on, Al! Al, do you hear me-!" Everyone jumped when Alphonse punched Edward.

"Why did you run away when I told you too!?" Alphonse demanded, ticked off, "What kind of idiot are you!?"

_Now that I think about it...I kinda want to punch him in the face as well. _Isabella sweatdropped.

"No way! I'm not just gonna run away and leave you behind!"

"Which is _exactly _why you're an idiot!" Isabella nodded in agreement, only to jump with everyone else when Alphonse punched his brother again.

Edward cried out in protest, clutching his now red cheek, "What do you keep punching me like that for? If I'd run away, _both _you and Isabella could've been killed- you know that?"

"And _maybe _we _wouldn't _have been!" Alphonse snapped, "Making a decision to die is something only an _idiot _does!"

"Hey, easy on the idiot stuff! I'm still your older brother, got it!?" He looked taken aback when Alphonse shouted,

"I'll say it all I want too!" He then grabbed Edward by the shirt, pulling his face close to his helmet, "Survival is the _only _way, Ed. Live on, learn more about Alchemy...You could find a way to get our bodies back and help people just like Nina! You can't _do _that by dying! I won't let you abandon the possibility and choose a meaningless death!" He sounded like he was crying, but without an actual body, it was only on the inside. Alphonse's arm broke apart and feel against the ground, Edward falling onto his knees. Alphonse cried out in annoyance and sarcasm, "Oh_, great! _And now my arm's come off because my brother is a big, fat _idiot_!"

Edward gained a bitter, sad smile as he hung his head and looked at the ground, "We really are falling apart...aren't we, brother? We look like we belong in a junkyard."

The sun started to rise, the rainclouds finally moving away.

Alphonse spoke softly, "But we're still alive." Edward nodded in agreement, still looking down.

"We are..."

Hughes spoke, a worried frown on his face, "Good grief, I've stumbled onto an extra special kind of freak show, huh?"

Isabella looked up at him blankly, nodding.

Mustang looked at Hughes with an apologetic smile, "Yeah, sorry." Hughes chuckled.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone upstairs. If this got out, things would get complicated," He informed Mustang, and Isabella watched as Riza gave Edward her jacket with a smile, Havoc and Armstrong accompanying her.

"Yeah," Mustang agreed, "The older brother aside, I wouldn't even _know _how to explain the younger brother's body."

"I don't envy you," Hughes replied with a small smile, "This is one tough customer you're dealing with." Mustang turned his head with a deep frown.

A troubled look formed on his face as he said, "And now we know he's Ishvalan..."

Isabella moved from Hughes, and pulled her extra shoe off, before walking over to Edward and Alphonse, who looked at her in confusion.

"Hey, Isabella..." Edward greeted awkwardly, only to flinch and cry out in pain when he got whacked across the hid with a shoe, "Ow! What was that for you bastard!?" He sent her a glare, pissed.

She snapped, not in a good mood, "For nearly _killing _yourself, you idiot! You may have gotten a lecture from your brother, but you haven't from me so _listen up_!" He shut up, leaning backwards as he grew slightly intimidated from the raging female. He had enough lectures from Winry to know that an angry female wasn't a good thing, "Next time you go to commit suicide, fine, but do it _after _you've done what you came to do or else I'll end up having to deal with an irritating, annoying, blonde ghost who is _constantly _complaining about not being able to get his and his brother's bodies back because he was too much of a wimp to keep living and getting it done! The next time you decided you want to commit suicide by murderer, make _sure _that it's _after _you have your limbs back and Alphonse isn't a Pinocchio and is actually a real boy! Stop. Being. A. Damn. IDIOT!" She screamed, punching him in the face.

Edward stumbled backwards, a bruise starting to form on his face from both Alphonse and Isabella's punches. On the bright side, at least they weren't Winry, who'd actually _kill _him with a wrench.

He gained stress lines and a sour look, imaging his tomb stone.

_Here lies Edward Elric. _

_Beloved State Alchemist and friend,_

_ tallest one out of everyone. _

_Death by Wrench. _

Yeah, that would go over well.

* * *

**A Week Later**

"The Ishvalans were a race of people who lived East to us," Mustang began, "They believed that their God Ishvala, was the one absolute creator. Even after they were annexed into the country, there were still conflicts between us and them. Then, thirteen years ago, a Military Officer accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalan child. That let to a full-blown Civil War. One uprising led to another, and before long, the rebellion had spread to the whole eastern sector. After seven years of this, an order came down from the Military High-Command...to exterminate Ishval. Many State Alchemists were brought in to act as human weapons. Needless to say, the State Alchemist produced shocking results. That man is an Ishvalan survivor."

Elizabeth looked horrified at what she had just heard, and Isabella appeared sick-to-the-stomach, "That's demented..." The childish one spoke, eyes wide.

"Twisted and sick," Isabella commented, saddened for all those peoples deaths, "They didn't deserve it."

Mustang barely glanced at the two girls, commenting, "In a sense, his revenge is justified."

Edward quickly growled out, "No way! There's no justification for taking revenge on people who had nothing to do with it! He's just dressing his ugly lust for vengeance in the mantle of his god and calling himself an agent of justice!"

"Still, the fact is, he's coming at us with full force," Mustang informed. "We can't let ourselves be killed for his cause. Next time there will be _no more talk_. Got it?"

Fuerie, Braeda, Havoc, Riza, Hughes, Armstrong, and Fallman all nodded their heads, **"Yes, sir!" **

Hughes looked up at the Elric brothers, then his adoptive daughter and Elizabeth, then at all four, "Well then, you four, what are you going to do now?"

Somehow, during the week after the Scar incident, it got established that the Jones' sisters and the Elric brothers were now a group and were to be travelling together from this point on.

"What's the plan?" Hughes finished.

Everyone was silent as Edward spoke, "We're going to keep moving. We can't just sit around, not as long as we're still alive." He lifted his head and looked at everyone.

"Brother..." Alphonse sounded proud of his older brother. Edward smiled down at the broken suit of armor and place a hand gently on his armored shoulder.

"Before we can get any headway on getting your body back, we have to get my arm back to normal." He continued, the adults al smiling at the sight, "After all, I'm the only one who knows how to bond your soul to the armor."

"Uh-Huh."

Elizabeth grinned childishly, stumbling as she moved around with her crutches, "True, True. What would Alphonse ever do without his older brother?"

Isabella felt the sides of her lips tilt upwards in a small smirk at the joking sarcasm. She watched as Edward gave the girl a sour look before sighing.

"Guess it can't be helped...We've got no choice," He made a slight worried face at the memory of the blonde, "It's been a long time, but we need to pay a visit to our mechanic."

Isabella grinned at the blonde, stating in amusement, "Yeah, you're screwed."

Edward made a sour face.


	6. Of Medicines and Mechanics

A knocking on the train window caused the three young human teens to look up in confusion, seeing Hughes looking at them from the outside.

"Hey," He greeted them. Edward quickly opened the window, saying in surprise,

"Lt. Colonel?"

Elizabeth blinked while Isabella asked, "What are you doing here?"

He spoke, "The folks at the Eastern Command Center were a little too busy to make it down here today, so I came to see you off instead. Not to mention that I also wanted a chance to see my daughter before she was sent off out of my reach," He grinned, smiling widely at Isabella who sweatdropped.

Edward gained a bored look, "Great, but would mind telling me..." He turned his head with a sour look to stare at the person who sitting next to him, "what the major's doing here?" A sparkle appeared next to Armstrong's head, his arms crossed in his spot on the seat.

"It's...kinda creepy," Elizabeth admitted, nodding her head in agreement with Edward.

"For protection," Hughes answered, frowning. "What would happen to you if Scar came after you again?" Ed reached up and gripped his right shoulder, uncomfortable of the feeling of not having an arm. "You're in no shape for a fight now Ed, not to mention that Isabella and Elizabeth don't even _know _how to fight. The Major's here to help. Just try to grin and bear it."

Isabella commented sourly, causing Hughes to look at her with a sweatdrop, "I would if he wasn't trying to _strip _every five seconds..."

"And sparkle." Elizabeth added.

"And hug us to death while crying to comfort us."

"And-"

"Okay, okay, we get it now!" Edward snapped, getting irritated at the two quickly.

Armstrong commented, "Children can be so stubborn."

Surprisingly, and in completely unison, all three teens shot out of their seats to stand and glare at Armstrong as they declared angrily, "Hey-**Shut up! I'm not a child!"**

"-no child!" The three turned to look at each other in surprise, and lightning crackled between Edward and Isabella as Elizabeth laughed strangely, sitting back down uncomfortably.

"Are you mocking me now!?" Isabella demanded, sending Edward a dark look. He glared straight back, just as angry.

"Am _I _mocking _you_? _You're _mocking _me!_"

"As if! Who would ever want to mock _you_, you dumbass!?"

"I'm sure plenty of people would want to mock me! It's _you _whose the dumbass, dumbass!"

Armstrong's eyebrow twitched for a moment as he listened to the arguing.

Edward continued to shout, "Bring it on you bastard! I could take you on any day-not like you even know _how _to fight!"

"I sure as hell can fight better than you-"

_"ENOUGH!_" The two stopped yelling at each other and looked up at Armstrong in surprise, only to quickly shrink underneath his gaze, "Stop fighting like a bunch of toddlers and get along already!" He stood, picking Isabella up by the collar and causing her to squeak in surprise and alarm at the fact that her feet were off the ground, and dropped her down in his seat as he sat down where she was previously, "From this point onward you two are going to be sitting next to each other and getting to know each other better so you two can _stop _fighting! What if you two were in the middle of a fight and you two started to banter again? You'd both end up dead for being a pair of ignorant children who don't even know how to _tolerate _each other!"

They were so scared of Armstrong at this point that they didn't even dare protest about being called "Ignorant Children" and being told to "Get-to-know-each-other-better".

Armstrong crossed his arms again and after a few moments of silence, Elizabeth commented awkwardly, "W-Well, then..." She then remembered and exclaimed loudly, "Wait! What about Al!? Is he on the train?" Edward perked up at that, worried about his brother. Elizabeth knew full well that Alphonse would be in the cart with the sheep, but wanted to be sure in case she and Isabella had changed any events just by being there.

"Of course," He replied, opening his eyes to look down at them. He quickly sparkled as he held his fingers up to his chin, "I thought he might get lonely without some company."

Edward quickly gained a tick mark as he stood up and screamed, glaring at the Major, "MY BROTHER ISN'T SOME KIND OF _FARM ANIMAL!_"

Isabella didn't comment, but did think with a dry look on her face, _I can't believe I'm actually going to admit it, but blondie here has a point. Alphonse may be a suit of armor, but he **is **still a human... _Stress lines grew on her face, _Please tell me I'm not actually agreeing with him? _

A bell rang out and Hughes commented surprise, "Oh, it's time." The train whistle blew loudly. Hughes quickly saluted with a smile, "Okay, you kids have a safe trip. Stop in and give me a shout the next time you four drop into Central. And Liz," Isabella looked up at Hughes in confusion, "try to get along with the other children?" Her jaw dropped for a brief moment before she stood and pointed angrily at Edward who was sitting next to her with a bored look on his face.

"It's not _my _fault that he's a complete and utter _jerk!_"

He commented angrily, peeved, "A complete and utter jerk that tried to save your life!"

She glared at him again, "Your definition of "Saving" is trying to kill yourself! You're the biggest idiot I've ever had the displeasure of knowing!"

"You're even worse than the Bastard Colonel! If anyone's an idiot, it's you!"

"Che," Isabella scoffed, crossing her arms, "As if."She sat back down as the train took off, Hughes calling after them with a huge amused grin.

"_Play nice, you two!" _

**"SHUT UP!"** The two screamed, glaring at him from the window. They could hear Hughes' laughter out in the distance, and when they sat down again they both glared before turning their heads and crossing their arms, electricity crackling.

Elizabeth sweatdropped, _No wonder they hate each other so much...They're so much alike they repel each other! _She sighed, "What am I gonna do with you two?" When she looked back up five minutes later, she was surprised to find that Edward was already asleep with his head against the window and Isabella curled up in a ball with her knees to her chest, her head leaning back against the seat, snoring silently unlike Ed who was snoring loudly.

It was kinda funny, if you think about it.

...

"Oi, Blondie, wake up!" Edward screamed at the loud voice in his ear, jumping out of his seat and landing back in it with a loud _THUD. _He was now wide awake. He sent a glare at Isabella, who was smirking in amusement at him. "Aw, would you look at that? Sleeping beauty finally woke up."

He held a fist up to Isabella's face, a tick mark growing quickly on his head quickly as his eyebrow twitched, "What. Was. That? DO YOU WANT TO GET BEAT-!" He screamed when he was suddenly pushed down in the seat by Armstrong who had moved to look out the window. Isabella laughed at Edward, only to squeal and duck down onto the seat when she nearly got a butt to the face.

Elizabeth laughed loudly, glad that she was on the safe side of the train ride.

"Doctor Marcoh! Doctor Marco, that is you, isn't it!?" The man Armstrong was yelling at turned his head to look at Armstrong, horror slowly dawning on the stranger's face, "It's me! Alex Louis Armstrong from Central!" The stranger quickly took off running, trying his hardest to get away from there.

"Friend of yours?" Edward asked curiously, being able to get a glimpse of the guy Armstrong was talking too.

"He's from Central, a talented State Alchemist. He was researching into possible medical applications of Alchemy," Armstrong explained, "But after the Ishvalan Civil War, he went missing-just disappeared."

Edward quickly moved over Isabella and started to run off the train, shouting, "Let's go, Major! A guy like this might know some useful things about Bio-Alchemy! And don't forget to pick up Alphonse as well!"

Isabella muttered in annoyance, saying, "Friggin' spontaneous-ah, whatever. Elizabeth, let's go."

Elizabeth quickly shot up out of her seat and saluted, mocking, "Sir, yes, sir!" She grinned however, showing she was just kidding around.

...

"Excuse me, but do you know who this person is by chance?" Armstrong asked, holding up his sketch of Marcoh. Edward look surprised at the Drawing, saying with a few sweatdrops,

"Wow, Major, you can really draw..." Armstrong quickly gained some sparkles as he said proudly,

"The art of portraiture has been passed down through the Armstrong family for Generations!"

"That man looks like Doctor Mauro, to me." The man they asked replied thoughtfully. Armstrong questioned in confusion,

"Mauro?"

"All of our town's Doctors were drafted down to help on the battlefields in the civil war," He replied as another man, younger with blonde hair and blue eyes, walked up. "Then Dr. Mauro came here. He's really been a life saver.

They asked around a bit more and got multiple replied, all positive, "He'll see anybody and he never gives up on any patient. We're lucky he's here."

"You see this bright, big flash of light and then you're cured, just like that!"

The three teens and Armstrong looked at each other, all coming to the same conclusion.

...

"This is it," Edward said as he knocked on the door. He grabbed the handle and opened the door, saying, "Um, hello-" He cut himself off quickly with wide eyes as he stared at the barrel of a gun. He screamed and quickly moved right as the stranger fired the gun, causing Isabella to scream and duck, barely missing getting shot in the head.

"Alright, tell me what you four are doing here!" Marcoh demanded, pointing the pistol at them with shaking hands. "Have you come to take me back?" Armstrong raised his free hand to try and pacify the Doctor.

"Please, Doctor, calm down-"

The gun in his hands shook in fear, "I don't ever want to go back! Anything but that!"

"That's not it, please, listen."

"So, you're here to _silence _me, then!?"

"No, nothing like that!"

"I won't be tricked by you!" Armstrong closed his eye and breathed in deeply, before opening them and throwing Alphonse at Marcoh declaring,

"I'll ask you one more time; Please, calm down!" The crate Alphonse was in hit Marcoh straight on, sending the man back and onto the floor.

"ALPHONSE!" Edward screamed in worry, while the two girls look worriedly up at Armstrong wondering what he was gonna do next.

...

"So, you changed your name and decided to live in hiding out here in the countryside?" Armstrong asked, everyone now sitting at his kitchen table. "If the rumors I heard are to be believed when you moved all the way out here; you took top-secret materials with you."

Marcoh clasped his hands together tightly, still frightened and uncomfortable. "I couldn't handle it anymore," He began, not looking at any of them. "Order or no order, to have to dirty my hands researching that _thing_ was too much."

"What, "Thing"?" Isabella questioned curiously, frowning as she crossed her arms on the table.

He didn't answer, merely continuing to say, "It took so many lives...During the Civil War, so many innocent died because of it." Marco closed his eyes and ground his teeth together, hating the fact that he even had to _talk _about that _thing_ when thinking about it was hard enough already. "I could spend my whole life trying and never atone for the things that I have done. But I had to do something, so I came here to be a Doctor to _save _lives instead of taking them."

Armstrong frowned, serious, and asked, "Doctor...What was it that you were ordered exactly to do research on? What "thing"?"

"The Philosopher Stone." Some of them gasped, while others inhaled sharply.

"The Top-secret materials I took were my research documents...and the stone itself." Marcoh looked taken aback when Edward stood up and slammed his hand on the table.

"You mean you still have it!? Is it still here!?" Marcoh appeared conflicted for a few seconds before he pulled out a small bottle with red liquid out of his jacket.

"How can that be the stone?" Edward asked in confusion, "It's liquid."

Marcoh pulled the cap off and poured the liquid onto the table, causing it to form into a small stone-shaped liquid. Edward gasped.

"The Sage's Stone". "The Grand Elixir". "The Celestial Stone". "The Red Tincture". "The Fifth Element"," Marco listed off as Elizabeth reached over and poked it a few times, making a strange face at the jelly-like feel of the substance. Edward did the same, staring at it in amazement, "Just as the Philosopher Stone is called by many names, it can take on many forms. It is not necessarily a stone. This is an incomplete product, however. There is no way to know when it will reach its limit and become unusable."

"Completed or not, it demonstrated plenty of power during the Ishvalan Civil War, right?" Edward asked, before saying, "It's just like that false stone that priest had in Liore. It was incomplete, but it still amplified his powers considerably." He grinned, "If imitations this powerful can be made, whose to say that a complete product can't be created?" He slammed his hand on the table again, smiling, "Please, Doctor Marcoh, I need access to your research materials."

Isabella frowned, trying to remember exactly what it was that Philosopher Stones were made out of. _It was something bad, I remember that much, but what is it? _

Elizabeth however seemed slightly paler than usual, but was doing well at hiding it.

"Major, who exactly is this boy?" Marcoh asked Armstrong with a frown. Armstrong looked at him with a completely serious face.

"This boy is a State Alchemist, Doctor."

"What?" Marcoh gasped, looking alarmed at Edward, "But he's only a child!" He pressed his hand against the bridge of his nose, unable to believe what was happening, "After the Civil War, many State Alchemists turned in their certifications because they refused to work as Human weapons anymore, and now a _child_-?"

"You think I don't know what I've signed up for?" Edward demanded, giving Marcoh a look. He clutched his right shoulder tightly as he continued, "I know what I'm doing, but I might not have any choice! If this is a mistake, then it's a mistake that I'm gonna have to make. There is no other way!" The determination in his eyes took Isabella aback, surprised at the sudden change in attitude.

Marcoh stared at Edward, eyes wide as he finally noticed Edward's missing arm. He then turned his gaze over to the crate that Alphonse was in, and stated after a few moments of silence, "I see...So you've committed the taboo? Amazing," He stood up and observed Alphonse, "To think that you would have the ability to transmute a specific person's soul like this. Maybe one as talented as you would be able to produce a complete Philosopher's Stone."

Edward looked hopeful, "So-!"

Marcoh cut him of, "But I can't show you my research."

"Why not!?"

"You must not seek after the stone!"

"Not even if it's to get our bodies back!?" Edward demanded.

"Never! This is the devil's research. If you chase after the stone, you will go through hell!"

"I've _already been through Hell!_" Edward snapped loudly, causing some birds in the distance outside to fly away.

"Please, just leave..."

In a fit, Edward got up and left the building, causing everyone else to follow suit.

At the train station, they sat down on a bench to await the next train.

"Are you sure about this, Ed?" Major Armstrong questioned with crossed arms. Edward looked up at him confused, "Even a complete Philosopher's Stone could be useful. You _could _have taken it from the Doctor by force."

Isabella looked at the Major with stress lines on her face, _Is he **trying **to turn Edward into a bad guy?_ Edward sighed and leaned his head back.

"Yeah, I wanted it so bad, I could almost taste it. But still..."

Alphonse continued his brother's thought, "But still, we don't want it so badly that we'd be willing to deprive this town of their only Doctor to get it."

Edward continued with a smile as he stared up at the sky, "We gained plenty just by finding out that the Philosopher's Stone can be made. Now we'll just have to look for some other way to do it." He smiled at the Major.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, though she still didn't look very happy. Isabella frowned and looked at her, noticing how quiet she had been the entire trip.

"Are you alright...?" The younger brunette looked up in surprise before nodding with a forced smile.

"Yeah, why?" Isabella's frown deepened.

"Just curious." They got up at the sound of the train whistle blowing and watched as it started to slow down.

"What about you, Major?" Edward asked curiously. "How do you feel about not reporting back to Central about Dr. Marco's location?"

"I met a simple, small-town Doctor today. I see no real reason to report that." Edward laughed and grinned, while Isabella shook her head at Armstrong's words.

"Wait!" They looked on in surprise at the sight of Marcoh standing before them, panting heavily with his hands on his knees.

"Dr. Marcoh?" Edward questioned in confusion.

They watched as he took out a piece of paper and handed it to them, "This is where my research materials are. If you're certain you won't regret learning the truth in the end, start looking here. Look closely. Maybe you'll find the truth hidden within the truth." Edward took the paper, surprised. Marcoh turned with a bitter smile, "But, I've said too much already." He raised a hand in the air in a wave as he walked away, "I hope the day will come when you'll be able to restore your bodies!"

Armstrong saluted while Edward bowed, Elizabeth and Isabella calling out and thanking the man.

_From America to Germany in a Japanese anime that speaks English, _Isabella thought in amusement, seeing how different their ways of thanking the man were, _Talk about messed up. _

Yes, she had noticed over the nine months that she had been here that Amestris was another version of Germany. _Fuhrer _Bradley? The type of vehicles they used? The German uniforms?

On the train, Alphonse asked, "Brother, what does the note say?"

"National Central Library, First Branch." He replied. Armstrong was left to hold Alphonse, as their was no room left on the seat because of all the people.

"I get it," Armstrong spoke, observing the note, "Like hiding a tree in a forest. Finding one book in that giant library will be difficult indeed."

Edward looked out the window, ready to clear another obstacle. "Finally, another clue about the stone..."

* * *

"Yo, Granny!" Edward called as they walked up to the house. Al greeted from his spot in the crate on the Major's shoulder,

"We're home!"

Elizabeth grinned, waving widely as her eyes shone brightly at meeting another one of the famous "Characters" of "Fullmetal Alchemist", "Nice to meet you!"

Isabella commented dryly, not really looking forward to getting poked and prodded at by Winry again for the billionth time. She came here three times after the specific amount of months they told her to come for checkups, and it wasn't really all that fun, "I'm not here for a check-up, so don't get any funny ideas."

Panako asked with a raised eyebrow, eyeing the girl curiously, "Now, why would I do that?" She then lifted her pipe up to her mouth to breathe out some smoke as she observed Edward, Alphonse, the Major and Elizabeth. She then asked, despite being used to the beaten up state of the older brother's automail, "Oh dear, what have you done now?"

Edward chuckled, "A lot has happened; can you fix us up?" A loud thud resounded when the Major placed the crate Alphonse was in on the ground, greeting the elderly woman as he shook her hand, "This is Major Alex Louis Armstrong," Edward introduced them.

"I'm Pinako Rockbell. Who might the new girl be?" Pinako introduced and questioned, eyeing Elizabeth. If she looked surprised at her resemblance to Isabella, she didn't show it. "I don't ever recall seeing her before."

"H-Huh? Oh, me?" Elizabeth asked in surprise, not really expecting Pinako to notice her so quickly. She laughed sheepishly and scratched the side of her head, "I'm-I'm Elizabeth Brown, Isabella's fraternal twin sister. We-We really never met until a few weeks ago. It's a long story."

Pinako offered a small smile, slightly amused at the girl's antics, "Well, I'm sure you can fill me in later. But," She turned to look at Edward with a frown, "I know I haven't seen you in a while, Ed..." She took a step, observing him from head to toe, "but you've gone and grown _smaller_." Her tone was condescending and skeptical.

Stress lines formed on Edward's face as a tick mark grew on his head, his eyebrows twitching as he said through grounded teeth, "Granny, you've got it wrong. You're supposed to say, "How _big _you've grown lately, Ed"." He tried to hold back from beating the poor woman into a pulp.

Panako came face-to-face with Ed, questioning bluntly, "But why would I say something so clearly untrue?"

Isabella heard stifled laughter and turned her head in confusion to see Elizabeth with her hands over her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she tried to quell her laughter. Isabella raised an eyebrow and shook her head, turning to look back at the scene that was happening in front of her.

The tick mark on Edward's face snapped and he screamed at Panako, standing to his full height as he growled angrily, "I'm still taller than you, you _mini-hag_!"

Pinako watched blankly when a wrench flew out of a window and hit Edward straight in the forehead, knocking backwards onto the ground as he cried out in pain.

A laugh escaped Isabella's mouth at the sight of his injury, crying out in amusement, "Ha! Take that you wannabe tall-ist!"

Edward seemed to ignore her as Winry yelled at him from her spot on the house's balcony.

"Edward, I though I told you to _call _first when you're heading back here for maintenance!" He quickly sat up and glared, tick marks growing on his face as he screamed.

"_WINRY! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?" _The blonde laughed loudly for a few moments before smiling at Edward.

"Welcome back!" She greeted, happy to see him-especially that he seemed to be in one-piece.

...

The automail lay there in pieces, Winry's horrified face staring at what once was her precious automail she constructed for a specific Elric blonde. She cried out in horror, "Oh, _nooooo!" _Her voice went up a few pitches, showing her mortification at her poor baby.

Edward apologized from his spot on the couch, a mug barely reaching his lips as went to take a drink of coffee, "Yeah, sorry. It's a little smashed up."

She held the pieces of metal in her hands, trembling from head-to-toe, "A _little _smashed up"? A "_little" _Ed? Do you _see _what you've done to my beautiful creation; I _slaved _over this!"

Edward lowered the mug with a smile, a small sparkle appearing next to his face as he tried to avoid a beating, "It's basically the same, it's just in smaller pieces." Edward screamed as Winry punched him in the face, knocking out a tooth.

She placed her hands on her hips as she looked down at Alphonse skeptically, Edward's legs twitching in the air as he had landed on his face, "Don't tell me, you a little smashed up too, Al? What kind of trouble have you two been getting yourselves into?" Alphonse didn't have a chance to reply as Winry kicked him over to his brother, causing him to scream. She crossed her arms and turned around, turning to frozen Isabella and Elizabeth, looking at the more mature brunette. "What about _you_, huh, Isabella? How's _your _automail?"

Isabella slowly held up her arm, pushing her sleeve up to show that it was still in one-piece, "It's fine, see? I'm okay."

However, the bandages on her face refused to stay silent, causing Winry to beat her up as well with a lovely smack to the face as she was sent sprawling over with the Elric brothers.

"To think they even got you involved," Winry huffed, only to finally notice Elizabeth standing in the corner. She blinked and stared at the girl curiously, who happened to be trembling in fear. "Hey, who are you? Don't tell me you're with _those _three idiots."

"I'm-I'm Elizabeth," Winry blinked in surprise at the name, but noticed it wasn't pronounced -Eh-lis-uh-bethe- but -Ee-liz-uh-bith. "I'm her sister...please don't kill me!" She quickly raised her hands up in surrender, fearful of the girl's wrath. Winry smiled, only to frown at the sight of her hands and ask,

"May I see your hands?" Elizabeth blinked in confusion.

"What?" Winry seemed to not hear her as she quickly moved forward and grabbed the automail hands, observing them intently with stars in her eyes.

"No way...I've never seen craftsmanship like this before! The finely tuned-" Elizabeth blinked when Winry started ranting about things she didn't understand, forcing her jacket off of her to observer her hands better. Winry finally backed away after a good three minutes and placed her hands against her face, fangirling, "It's truly a work of _art!" _

"Um..right? But, are they gonna be okay?" She pointed nervously at the three stooges who were twitching in the corner, beaten up. Winry paused and stared at them with a stern look, stating.

"They'll be _fine_. They're all a bunch of idiots, all they ever do is worry me! And now I got two more people to worry about, the nerve of them!" Winry huffed, crossing her arms again. Elizabeth blinked and quickly shrugged her sleeves back down over her hands, feeling uncomfortable with them rolled up like that.

A good twenty minutes later, the four horsemen had finished telling their tale and requests.

Panako spoke, "In order for you to get this information you need, you want to get to Central as soon as possible, am I right?" Edward nodded.

"Yeah, this is kind of a rush order." Edward was sitting on a chair in his boxers and tanktop, Panako observing his automail leg and flesh leg.

"Hm...it's not just the arm, you're leg needs adjusting too."

Isabella snickered at that, commenting with an amused smirk, "Congratulations, blondie. You're height _isn't _so hopelessly forgotten after all." Edward gave her a glare as Winry agreed, grinning.

"Yeah, your growth isn't completely stunted, huh?"

"SHUT UP!"

Panako hit the knee gently with her smoke pipe, "Leg aside, with the state of the arm, we're going to have to build it completely from scratch."

Edward frowned, "Is there any chance you can have it done in a week?" He felt guilty for rushing them, but he need Marcoh's notes. Isabella noticed the tone of voice he used and realized how he must feel, and turned her head as she frowned, narrowing her eyes as she glared at a wall.

_Hmph, guess the idiot's not so much of a jerk after all. Still don't like him, though. _He _had _tried to kill himself. That gives the girl no reason to like him at all. In fact, it just made her hate him more.

Isabella was snapped out of her thoughts when Panako said, standing, "Give us some credit, Ed." She blew some smoke out of her mouth and smiled confidently, "Three days. But you'll have to make do with this spare for now." She placed a temporary replacement leg onto Edward's port. He stood up, stumbling slightly as he tried to get used to the feel of a different leg.

"It's a little difficult trying to walk on a leg I'm not used too," He admitted, catching his balance. Panako smirked, her hands on her hips.

"We'll be finished before you get used to it," She promised. Winry stood up, slinging the remnants of the mechanical arm over her shoulder as she listed off with her fingers.

"Three days, huh? Between machining, assembling, connecting, and finishing...that's three all-nighters." Edward frowned as he looked at the girl, the guilt hitting him even more as he felt bad about making her lose sleep over this.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble..." Winry turned and smiled brightly at him.

"Well, you want to get to Central as soon as possible, right? Then I'll work my butt off for you!" A light blush spread across Edward's face at the girl's determination to do this for him, "But you better believe you're gonna be paying a _fortune _in rush order fees!"

Elizabeth leaned over to Isabella, whispering soft enough that the two blondes couldn't hear, "I sense a couple in the making~" She sang softly, grinning from ear-to-ear. Isabella rolled her eyes at the childishness, but had to admit that Winry and Edward were a cute couple. Though, how Winry could fall for that idiot she had no idea, but hey-who was she to question how people felt about each other?

...

_"What's wrong with you? Trading places with another person...you stole their life from them! Their friends, family-all of their loved ones were taken from them because **you **came here! I though you had a heart...But it turns out that even that tiny little organ of yours it artificial! You're not human...you're a **monster! **She **died **because of you!" _

_"Such sweet dreams, my traveler. It's sad that you only have this journey and no home to get back too except the one you have here."_

_"I hate you! I trusted you...and **this **is how you repay me!? By taking her place in our lives and allowing her to **die **in your place!?" _

_"She never survived the crash! Isabella-She-She's **dead**. My daughter's dead..." _

_"Sis..." _

_"Our sister's...**dead**?" _

_"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" _

_"Wake up, damn it! Wake up! You can't-No, no, no, no! No more-I lost your father, I'm not losing your too! Wake up..." _

_"Two funerals within one week..." _

_"It must have been hard on mom, losing not only dad but now Lizzie, too..." _

_"I love you." _

_"Poor kids, their sister's gone. Did you hear? Chasing a bus so she wouldn't have to walk to school and got hit by Pickup-Truck." _

_"Poor things...They'll get put in the system now, won't they?" _

_"Why did you leave us? Why did you chase after it?" _

_"**Isabella!"**_

_"It's all your fault Elizabethe's dead. You killed her." _

_"Big sister? Is it true you're not from here?" _

_"I love you, big sister!" _

_"I **hate **you." _

Her eyes snapped open almost instantly, darting around frantically as she tried to decipher where the voices came from and where she was, completely horrified at what had just transpired. Trying to calm herself, she sat up and placed a hand against her chest as she tried to relax herself and her breathing, her chest heaving heavily from the fright she just experienced.

What was she afraid of? She had no idea. Being hated? No, that wasn't it. Abandoned? Closer...

_ I killed who? _She asked herself, furrowing her eyebrows as the sweat beaded down her face. Giggling echoed in her mind and she tensed, remembering the sweet little girl who made her smile. _Nina..._ The smell of alcohol and the sight of anger and depression, _Mother...you're not really dead, are you? _Sickness and blood. Her shoulders trembled and she bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to form, _Daddy...forgive me. I'm such a coward, aren't I? I couldn't even save one little girl...One sweet, innocent little girl, and here I am saying I'll save another. I don't...I don't want anyone else to die... _

She was scared.

_"You killed her." _

She couldn't save Nina.

_"I love you, big sister!" _

She was a coward and here she was thinking that she could save Hughes and prevent Nina from feeling the same pain she had. What a wimp.

She stood up after a moments, realizing she must have fallen asleep on the couch, and moved to leave the room. Her hand froze over the handle, hearing Panako talking to Armstrong.

"-It's gone now. The brothers don't have any home to return too." _What? _She didn't remember that. Then again, she doesn't remember a lot of things. "The day they left, after Ed gotten his State certification...they burned down their own house."

Isabella frowned, not understanding. _Why would they have done that? Who one earth would burn down their own house? Even Lillian wouldn't have been so crazy to do that. _She then remembered her dream and the sorrowful faces of her siblings as they stood by a grave, dressed completely in black. _Why did they look so sad? _They were crying. Over three different graves. People were talking about them behind their backs, obviously at a funeral. _Mother couldn't have... _

Why is it, that no matter where she was, people always seemed to die around her?

"-my guess is they did it because with no house to come home to...there could be no turning back."

Without even realizing it, her eyes had begun to water. Quickly blinking the tears away, she opened the door just in time to hear Elizabeth say,

"That's...poor guys..." She couldn't even think of the right thing to say. Panako turned her head at the sound of a door opening and stared at Isabella in surprise.

"Oh, you're finally awake. You seemed to have fallen asleep while reading, so I had the Major move you to the couch."

Stress lines formed on her face as she sweatdropped, staring at a sparkling shirtless Major who had tears and sparkles around his face. "I feel slightly violated since you said _he's _the one who carried me, but thanks for the concern."

"Did you hear?"

"What?"

"Our conversation," Panako explained, staring at the girl, "Did you hear it?"

Isabella tensed, not sure if she should tell the truth, before saying with a frown, "Only the end about how they burned their house down. No need to worry."

Panako sighed, "Well, it's not like it was anything to worry about. It's about time I get working on supper." A while later, Edward walked in and was ambushed by the Major who was crying.

"Oh, Edward Elric! What unyielding love to try and bring your mother back to life! What a tremendous sacrifice to give up your arm to transmute your brother's disembodied soul! What determination to burn down your own house! To make sure...there was no retreat. Come Edward!" He quickly stripped himself of the shirt that the twin sisters had worked so hard on convincing him to wear, "Allow me to offer you this comforting embrace!"

"Just stay back! DON'T RUB YOUR CHEST ON ME!"

...

It was the first night and Edward was already impatient. He kept checking in every hour to see if Winry was close to being done, and it was starting to grate on the blonde's nerves.

Elizabeth turned to look at Isabella, having had to share Winry's room with her since the blonde refused to go to bed, "Do you really think we can save Hughes? I mean, we're going to have to take on Envy or something like that. Strike a deal or beat him up."

"Him? You sure that palm tree's not a girl or a hermaphrodite?"

"I'm...pretty sure. I think."

"I don't know...but we need to try. Any ideas?"

"Hm..." Elizabeth rolled onto her back with her hands on her stomach, poking her lips out in a pout, "Well...I can stay behind since I know Alchemy and you don't, and you can go to Rush Valley with the brothers."

"Rush Valley...Isn't that that automail place with that prince?" Elizabeth sat up suddenly, eyes shining brightly.

"Ling! He's one of my favorites! In all honesty, I think you two would get along epically! Aw, what if you two become a couple! That would be the cutest thing _ever_!"

Isabella sweatdropped as she stared at the girl. She dressed similar to Isabella so people often mistaken her as goth, not to mention that she was also a tomboy, but acted like a total fangirl when it came to romance. Such a child but such a teen. _I don't think I'll ever understand this girl...How are we even related? I think there's a lose cannon in that thing she calls a brain somewhere... _Wait, does she even _have _a brain?

Well, she was stupid enough to get kidnapped by Tucker, so...

"Please don't get your imagination confused with reality. I plan on dying alone, thank you." She turned to her side, her back facing a pouting Elizabeth.

"You're no fun at all...Not only are you short, but mean as well..."

"What was that you bastard?" Elizabeth leaned back at the sight of towering angry Isabella, her fist held up and ready to strike. "I dare you say that again. I'll kick your ass. You're as _tall _as I am, so don't you _dare _go insulting my height or I'll shove those feet of yours into your mouth and make you eat your metallic hands!"

Elizabeth sweatdropped, eye twitching slightly as she stared at Isabella in distress, "I think Ed's rubbed off on you a little...Those threats are kinda-_OWWW!" _She screamed in pain when she was suddenly pushed off the bed and Isabella's metal foot was pressing down her stomach, "I'm sorry, I"m sorry!"

"What was that? I'm afraid I'm so tall that I wasn't able to hear you correctly! Did you shrink a few feet by chance?"

"I'm sorry! You're so tall, I can barely see you from up there!" She cried, tears streaming comically down her face. Isabella huffed and smirked, crossing her arms and sat back down on the bed and released Elizabeth who held her poor abused stomach, "You're so mean to me..."

"Damn straight I'm tall." She "Hmph'ed" and turned around to lay back down on the bed.

* * *

**Three days later. **

Elizabeth figured they should know. After all, if they were to be travelling together, it would alright if they knew the truth. She felt guilty about hiding it from them. Which is why she walked over to the brother's, who were sitting on the grass talking.

"H-Hey, guys, I need to talk to you..."

Ed and Al turned to look at her curiously.

"What is it?" Edward asked, confused.

"It's...It's about "The Gate"." The atmosphere turned dark already, and she barely had enough time to finish explaining before Winry ran up with Edward's arm.

"Here you go! It's all ready!" Winry smiled at them, only to frown at the sight of the three and the look on the teen's faces. _What's going on? _

She never found out.

...

"Weirdest looking outfit I have ever worn," Isabella stated, staring at herself in the mirror after her bath. Winry let her borrow some clothes and use the shower, which she would be eternally grateful for, and was left wearing a navy blue tanktop underneath a black cape-like jacket that had only three buttons at the top. She wore a pair of green cargo pants and boots. _Though, it's better than wearing those torn up clothes again and at least they're dark colors. _She grinned slightly before sighing, wondering when they'd all be leaving.

After all the excitement with Scar, standing around doing nothing was making her bored. Which is pretty much why she was surprised when she opened the door and walked out.

She found herself pushed up against the wall, Edward's hand gripping her collar tightly as he glared at her, automatically demanding, "When the hell were you gonna tell us you were from the other side of the Gate!?"

"What?" Her eyes widened in shock. _When did they find out? No, **how**?_

"Elizabeth told us everything, now spill! What the hell are you doing here and why the hell did you let the Hughes' adopt you when you have a home back there!? You still have a family-why did you come here!?"

_Why did I-when did he get his automail arm back? _She then realized Winry must have finished it today-only to quickly feel anger when she fully comprehend what Elizabeth had done.

His grip tightened and she could feel the metal pinching her skin, the wall starting to hurt her back. She raised her hands and tried to pry his off of her, to no avail. "Why I came here?" She questioned, eyeing with narrow and scornful eyes.

"Who the _hell _did you try to bring back to life!? Who did you use to open the gate!?"

Oh, that was _it_. She's had it. Being slammed against a wall for one thing, but being accused of human transmutation? Uh-uh.

Her eyes widened before being narrowed in complete anger, her face morphing into the darkest glare she could muster-which was pretty damn scary. "You wanna know who died? My _father_. You wanna know who else died? _Me_. And you wanna know something, blondie?" His glare didn't falter, which was good enough for her for when she could wipe that look off his puny little face. She raised her voice, snapping as her grip on his automail tightened, "_I didn't ask for this! _I didn't want to come here, I didn't want to leave my home, my friends, _or _my family, I didn't ask for _any _of this! And, for your information," Her look darkened as Edward grew taken aback, "I didn't commit _human transmutation_! I can't even use alchemy! I don't even know how! So how 'bout you start thinking first before you start to throw false accusations around, huh? I don't have anything against blondes, but you're as dumb as they come!

"I just wanted to get on the bus, go to school, and come home like I always do, but you know what? That _didn't _happen. So _shut the fuck up_ because you don't know _anything_. I don't know what Elizabeth told you, but yeah, I'm from the other side of the gate. Congratulations, you know the truth-here's a god damn trophy 'cause I could care less." Edward released and took a step back, staring at her with hidden surprise. "I'm dead over there, they already probably had a god damn funeral, so there's no point in me trying to get back over there. My friend, family-everyone I cared about-practically dead since I'll never see them again. If you wanna start a fight, go straight ahead 'cause I don't really care anymore.

"I don't like you, you don't like me, so after we get to the library I might as well just go home back to the Hughes' family. They're all I got now..." She glared at him from the corner of her eyes, "So, whatever she told you is completely irrelevant to me since you don't know a _damn _thing about me. She doesn't either, so you both should stop acting like you do. I'm sick and tired of it."

She took a deep breathe and sighed, shoulder slouching now that what burst of anger she had was completely gone and shoved onto Edward. _Man, have I been holding that in the entire time I've been here? Feels like it... _Isabella could hardly believe that she actually snapped. She thought she actually had a good control over her anger.

"So that's it." Edward stated bluntly, no longer glaring but crossing his arms. She whirled around in surprise to look at him, eyes wide.

"What?" _What the hell was with the 180 mood change!? _

He looked at her, not angry or hateful, but calm and-she didn't know how to explain it. "I wanted to hear your side of the story. I figured that here'd be no better way to do it then to make you angry. Though, I didn't expect that outburst...And what the hell are you talking about leaving? Mustang ordered me to train you, so I'm gonna train you damn it!" She stood there in shock, "Hughes would _kill _me if you got killed for being defenseless..." He really didn't want to make that man angry.

Her fingers twitched, and soon Edward was lying in a scrapheap on the ground with multiple bruises and bumps on his head.

She held a fists up as multiple tick marks grew on her face along with stress lines, "Don't take me for a fool, damn it. I may not know how to _fight_, but I still know how to hurt you!"

Elizabeth soon appeared and asked if Edward was okay, only to quickly join him in the scrapheap. Alphonse was the only who was spared, as he was the only one who was nice about it.

"So, you've seen it as well?"

"Unfortunately. His voice also pops up in my head from time to time."

"Oh...Unlike brother, I don't remember much about it. Are you really from the other side?"

"Yup."

"I'm sorry..."

"Not your fault, Al."

He appeared to be calm about, but freaked out at first when Elizabeth told him and his brother everything.

She said they were a story, tale found in books. Who wouldn't freak out being told something like that? But the way she knew things sometimes...it made sense. Isabella appeared to not remember much, or just doesn't know anything, but Alphonse still had the feeling that they could trust the two. Sure, it was weird knowing they were from the Other side of the Gate and that they were just stories where they came from, but...

"Hey, let go of me!"

"Al, let's go! We need to teach this girl some lessons in fighting! Elizabeth, you come too!"

"What? Why!?"

"I'm not going to be protecting you two every damn time there's a fight!"

The two girls' didn't have a choice as they were dragged outside and started to run for their lives, dodging and ducking and screaming as they tried to avoid Edward and Alphonse's attacks.

However, they all started to run in fear when Armstrong stripped and decided to join in on the fun.

It was soon decided that they would all be leaving first thing tomorrow morning.

...

Alphonse commented at the sight of his brother sleeping with his stomach showing, "Sleeping with his tummy out again-what am I gonna do with him?"

"It's like _you're _the older one, huh, Al?" Pinako commented with an amused smile. Alphonse replied softly,

"He can be a handful. Someone has to look after him."

"Hold old are the two of you boys, now?"

Winry pulled a blanket over Edward and sat down on the arm of the couch, look down at Edward with a soft and sad look on her face, "To think someone as young and small as he is...could be used a human weapon. It's almost funny-especially watching him sleep."

It was quiet for a few moments before Alphonse said, "Thanks, both of you..."

"What's this?" Winry questioned curiously, "Why so formal?"

"Granny, Winry...I'm so grateful to you, always welcoming us like we're really family. He won't ever say it, but...I know brother feels the same way."

"Al..."

Panako smiled gently, "Don't you worry, dear. We know he feels that way, too...He doesn't have to say it."

Isabella was completely silent, not saying anything and just standing there quietly. _The Elric Brothers are truly lucky people...to have so many people who care for them... _She decided to leave, not even understanding why she decided to eavesdrop with Armstrong in the first place.

"Granny...Winry...thank you." Armstrong was crying at this point.

* * *

The next morning.

Edward finished pulling on his gloves and said, "Thank you again for everything, Granny." He told Panako with a small smile.

"Sure."

Alphonse stopped petting Den, the dog, and stood up asking, "Hey...where's Winry?"

Isabella blinked in surprise and looked around with crossed arms, "Yeah, speaking of her, I haven't seen her."

"You're right!" Elizabeth exclaimed, surprised as the realization hit her.

"Resting," Panako explained, "She stayed up three nights in a row. Want me to wake her?"

_That wouldn't be very nice... _Isabella thought sweatdropping, only able to imagine how angry the blonde would be then.

"Nah, that's okay," Edward replied, starting to walk away as he waved his hand around lazily, "She'd just nag me. Make sure to do your maintenance or whatever." Everyone started to walk down the hill, only to get called to a stop by Panako.

"Hang on a second, now. You should come back once in a while and have dinner with us." Alphonse nodded while Edward laughed.

"You want us to come all this way into the mountains just for some dinner?" Panako laughed with a grin.

"Edward, Alphonse, Isabel, Elizabeth!" The two girls looked surprised at their name being called as well as they looked up at the balcony to see a tired Winry waving at them with an exhausted smile. "Come back soon, 'kay?"

Edward looked surprised before turning around and scratching his head, "Yeah!" He waved, not looking at her as he started to head down the hill again. Alphonse laughed as he waved, and Elizabeth called,

"Later! Sleep well!"

"Whatever, just don't overdo it." Isabella said bluntly as she yawned, walking away with Elizabeth chasing after her with a goofy grin. Armstrong said nothing, merely waving as he walked.

**I'm kinda disappointed by this chapter, but I'm trying to make the storyline at least similar to the one this was a rewrite of that I deleted. DX This feels like a really rushed chapter. I'm sorry. Anyway, what do you guys think about Isabella and Elizabeth?**


	7. Hidden Truths and Unspoken Voices

**Isabella's Voice Actor: Brina Palencia **

**Elizabeth's Voice Actor: **** Cherami Leigh**

Elizabeth broke out into comical tears, while Edward screamed in horror. Isabella frowned and muttered to her self about a waste of a library, while Elizabeth whimpered.

"All those poor books...they were just waiting to be read and now..." More tears streamed down her face.

"Dr. Marcoh's research! It's all gone!" Edward took a few disbelieving steps forward and knelt down, lifting up what appeared to be a book that had just barely survived, but ended up turning to ashes the second it was removed from the ground. "There's nothing left here but _ashes_; everything's gone." He clenched his fist and let what little remains fall to the ground.

Isabella crossed her arms and sighed, shaking her head. Elizabeth was still moping, sniffling.

"Those poor books...gone. Just like that..." Isabella looked at her before slapping Elizabeth upside the head, causing the younger-presumably younger-girl to cry out and stop crying, her hands flying up to gingerly rub the bump that was forming on her head. "Ow! What was that for!?" She demanded, sending Isabella a glare-but the pout on her face ruined it.

"You were complaining. It was getting quite annoying."

"Shut up! N-No one asked you!" Elizabeth yelled, turning her head and crossing her arms childishly as she huffed. She blinked and turned around in surprise when a voice suddenly exclaimed,

"Major Armstrong!" Everyone else followed suit. There standing at the entrance of the library's ruins were a pair of Officers in Blue Uniforms. One was a male with dirty blonde hair in a similar fashion to Edward's, only without the braid. Next to him was a woman with black boy-cut hair and dark eyes, a mole underneath her left eye. Armstrong looked surprised.

"Oh, Second Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh. To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Ross stood up straight, shoulders back, her arms pressed against her sides as she spoke, "You have been ordered to report back to the Command Center, sir."

Brosh stood in a similar fashion, "We shall be taking over supervision of the Elric brothers and Isabella Hughes, effective immediately." Elizabeth blinked and raised a hand, confused.

"Wait, what about me?" Nobody answered, leaving Isabella to pat her awkwardly on the back while she looked the other way.

Armstrong gained a little sparkle as he nodded, "Very well, they're yours."

Edward placed his hands against his head in irritation, "What is this!? Just when I think I'm home free, they saddle me with more bodyguards!?" He complained loudly, "This is getting _old!" _Isabella laughed at his misery, causing Edward to glare at her.

And the glaring only intensified when the two were forced to sit next to each other in the car in the middle, with Alphonse next to Edward on his right and Elizabeth on Isabella's left, the four of them squashed together while Alphonse tried to keep himself from impaling his brother.

Elizabeth sweatdropped, eyeing the electricity that crackled in the air nervously. "Um..." She didn't quite know what else to say.

Ross spoke, "All might not be lost," She told the four teens, "There was a woman who was well-acquainted with the materials in the first branch." Edward's eyes widened and Isabella blinked.

Elizabeth tensed, a bad feeling forming in her gut at knowing what the secret ingredient was.

"But unfortunately, she wasn't working there anymore."

The girl didn't want them to find out, but she knew she had no choice. It was one of those things she had no choice but let stay, unable to change.

Edward huffed and crossed his arms, turning his head towards his brother as he scoffed, "That sounds incredibly helpful."

Isabella rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, glaring at Edward, "Well, it's more than what YOU can offer, blondie."

"What was that, pea-brain?" He demanded, sending her a dark look. She raised her fist up, their foreheads touching as they glared, the blue lightning crackling between them again.

Elizabeth swore there was fire in the background and she decided it was time to break it up. "Guys, cut it out!" She tensed as their glares focused on her, but she quickly pushed the fear of being beaten to a pulp at the back of her mind. "They're trying to help and you all are just being all-all... I don't even know, but quit it!"

"She-She's right, you guys. Please be nice to each other for just five minutes." Alphonse pleaded, causing the two to look at him for a moment before sighing in unison. They glanced at each out of the corner of their eyes before huffing and crossing their arms, turning their heads in opposite directions.

**"Fine, but only for FIVE minutes." **

Brosh and Ross looked at each other in exasperation. Brosh then looked at Alphonse, staring at him as sweat beaded down his face. Alphonse noticed and tilted his head, asking curiously.

"Something wrong?"

"Oh, no, it's nothing...Although, if you don't mind me asking...why are you wearing a suit of armor?" The four teens tensed, and they all blurted out nervously,

**"It's a hobby!" **

Elizabeth looked outside and cried out, sweat beading down her face nervously, "Oh, my, what a lovely view! I wonder how the weather is going to be tomorrow!?"

"Y-Yeah!" Edward agreed awkwardly, leaning over his brother to stare out the window.

Ross and Brosh immediately turned away from the kids and whispered to each other loudly.

"Just what kind of freaky hobby _is _that, Lieutenant!?"

"Who _are _these children, anyway!?"

"What do you say, Al?" Edward asked his brother, going along with Elizabeth's idea. "It's a lovely view, like she said, isn't it?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah! Gorgeous!"

Isabella spoke calmly, despite the look of nervousness she had on her face, "Check out that house. I want one when I get older, too."

Everyone couldn't help but to sweatdrop at that.

...

Isabella blinked at the array of bookshelves that lines the apartment. "What...the hell...?" _This is a house, right? Not a library? _

"Oh, wow!" Edward gasped, "There's gotta be a _million _of 'em!"

They quickly set to work on trying to find Sheska.

Brosh complained as he slid between two shelves, "Ugh...Is there really someone _living _in this place?"

Elizabeth spoke with a grin, "Get me a mattress and a mini-fridge and I think I would." Brosh sent her a weird look, but didn't comment. Ross called out loudly.

"Miss Sheska, are you here!? Miss Sheska!"

A muffled voice called out, causing everyone to look around in surprise, "Is someone there!? Please, help me!"

Alphonse paused in his walking, looking through a row of shelves in confusion as he caught sight of a pile of books, a single hand sticking out at the top. "Um, brother...?" Edward looked at Alphonse in curiosity, seeing him point at the mountain of books. "There's somebody under there!" Every caught sight of the hand sticking out and screamed, panicking as they rushed to get the books off the poor woman.

"START DIGGING! WE'RE COMING!" Edward screamed, throwing a book and causing it to smack Isabella in the face. She flinched and growled in irritation, but she resisted the urge to give him a concussion as she threw a few more books behind her.

"STAY AWAY FROM THE LIGHT!" Elizabeth screamed. Isabella called out,

"Don't start making death references now, idiot!"

"Keep digging!" Alphonse screeched, his voice echoing.

After a while, they finally managed to uncover Sheska. She was a woman with a round face and light freckles. She had short and choppy light brown hair and dark blue eyes that were covered by glasses.

Edward panted heavily as he sat there with a book on his head, shoulders slumped. Elizabeth was collapsed on her stomach, chin resting on the ground with Isabella laying on top of her, eyes closed in exhaustion as she breathed.

"Thank you! I'm so sorry!" Sheska apologized frantically, bowing repeatedly. "I got myself trapped over a whole mountain of books!" She finally stopped bowing at sat up on her knees, quickly cleaning her glasses and placing them back on her face. She looked completely serious as she said, "I though I was going to _suffocate _under there!"

Elizabeth gasped, having trouble breathing due to Isabella's weight, and supplied, "We-We wouldn't have...let that happen..."

Isabella let out a grunt as she rolled off the short haired brunette, yawning loudly. "I want to sleep..." Sheska looked at them, a grateful look on her face, and bowed again to everyone.

"Thank you _so _much..." Edward was silent for a moment as he pulled the book off of his head and closed it.

"So, uh," He began. "Are you Sheska?" She looked up curiously.

"Yes."

"And you worked at the library?" Edward wanted some confirmation. Everyone flinched in surprise when Sheska suddenly shivered and hugged herself, gasping.

Isabella and Elizabeth quickly raised their hands to cover their eyes when a _bright _light appeared and bright yellow sparkles started to shine around Sheska, stars in the woman's eyes.

"Oh, the library! The word itself is so _beautiful! _I've loved books my whole entire life! Ever since I learned to read as a little girl! That job...was _Heaven!_" She exclaimed, fangirling loudly as she ranted.

The Elric brothers and the Jones sisters blinked.

The room turned dark and a spotlight shined on Sheska as she fell to her knees in depression. "But I forgot that I was supposed to be working and all I ever did was read...So they _fired _me. If I don't find another job, I'll never be able to move my poor, elderly mother into a better hospital!" The brunette fell to the ground, "But I'm _hopeless! _The only thing I can do well is read! I'll never find another job as long as I live!" The light flashed back on and Sheska dragged her hands down her face, crying, "I'll never find another job for as long as I live! I'm useless! Good-for-nothing! More pathetic than pond scum!"

Edward raised a hand slowly, uncomfortable, "Um, excuse me...there was one thing I wanted to ask you..."

Sheska stopped crying immediately, looking at Edward curiously with red tear-stained face, "Yes?" Her voice shook a little.

"Do you remember seeing any research belonging to anyone named Tim Marcoh?"

Isabella piped in, "He's an old guy? Did work in Ishval?" Sheska pressed a finger to her chin as she looked up in thought.

"Let's see...Tim Marcoh." She frowned, "Where do I know that name?" She smiled suddenly, the realization hitting her. "Oh! Yes, of course!" She clapped her hands together, "I remember now!"

Edward and Alphonse looked excited. Edward exclaimed, "Really!?" She nodded.

"Oh, yes! I'm absolutely positive! There were some handwritten notes stuffed in a bookcase where they didn't belong."

Alphonse let out a sound of relief, while a wide smile spread across Edward's face.

"That means the notes were really there after all!" Isabella ruined the moment an irritated deadpan.

"Which means that they were toasted and turned to ash with the rest of the books." Edward and Alphonse were sent into depression.

Edward moaned, "They were burned up with everything else in the library..." He sounded as though he was going to cry.

"Did you want to read them?" Sheska questioned, "Is that why you're asking?" Edward forced himself up, slouching as he stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked away.

"Yeah...But it's too late now. They're nothing but ashes." Alphonse stood to follow his brother, but not before casting one last glance towards Sheska and apologized.

"Sorry to bother you." Isabella waved at the woman,

"Thanks for the help." _Not that it was much help to begin with... _She huffed. Isabella felt like punching something.

Sheska spoke, a finger to her chin, "I remember everything that was in them. Would that help at all?"

There was a silence in which the trio stopped walking-only to be disrupted by their loud shouts of shock as they shoved their heads in Sheska's face disbelievingly.

Elizabeth started to laugh from her spot in the background.

Sheska grew nervous, "Uh, it's just how I am! I'm able to remember the content of any book I've ever read!"

Edward and Alphonse screamed in shock, while Isabella's jaw dropped dramatically.

Elizabeth's laughter increased.

"It'll take a while," Sheska continued, smiling, "but I could write them out for you."

Isabella was still standing there in shock when Edward ran over and grasped Sheska's hands, shaking them repeatedly while Alphonse waved some fans around.

"Thank you bookworm! You're my hero!"

"Your...welcome?"

Isabella suddenly ran up to the woman, seeing her in a new light, and pushed Edward out of the way while she grabbed the woman by the shoulders. The brunette teen had serious look on her face as she asked, "You seriously have Eidetic Memory?"

Sheska nodded slowly, unsure of how to respond.

A huge smile broke out on Isabella's face, "That's so _cool! _I always wanted to meet someone with a photographic memory!"

Brosh and Ross looked down worriedly at Elizabeth, who was laughing so hard that she was crying as she layed there on the floor, slamming and kicking her feet and fists against the floor.

They left and came back five days later, only to be greeted with the sight of multiple stacks of paper on the table. Sheska was smiling at them, gesturing to the paper stacks.

"Here you are! Complete copies of all of Tim Marcoh's notes!" Everyone was gaping in shock, surprised that the woman had actually managed to do it, "I'm sorry, I know five days is a long time to wait, but there was quite a lot to write down."

"Unbelievable!" Alphonse exclaimed. "There are some amazing people in this world!" He said as Edward lifted up a packet and flipped through it.

He sounded confused, "These are really Dr. Marcoh's research notes?"

"They sure are!" She replied cheerfully as she lifted up a few packets, "Come and take a look at them! "Written by Tim Marcoh: One Thousand Easy Recipes".

It was as though someone had dropped a hammer on all of them.

**"_Huuuuh?"_**Everybody was confused.

Ross started to read from a packet, "Six cups of rice, one carrot, two packs of salt... Oh, _great. _Does this mean we came all this way for a cook book?"

"Miss," Brosh began curiously as he looked at Sheska, "What part of this made you think it was an important document?"

Sheska pressed a hand against her chest worriedly, "Is it not what you're looking for?" She sounded like she was going to cry, "All I did was copy down what I remembered..."

Isabella flipped through a packet, and made a face at a recipe that looked _extremely _complicated. "Uh...Is any of this in English?"

Sheska looked confused, "English?"

_Were we not speaking English? _Isabella thought, uncertain. She then realized, _Oh, right, we're speaking German. Or...I don't know, my brain is going to turn to mush if I try to figure it out._ She decided to stop thinking.

Brosh placed a hand against his head, ignoring a deflated Sheska, "Wonderful-so this was just a wild goose-chase?"

"Sheska..." Edward began, "Are you sure this is an absolutely _flawless _reproduction of the notes?"

For some reason, Elizabeth sang, "_Absolutely Flawless!_" Isabella looked at her strangely, causing Elizabeth to sweatdrop.

Sheska nodded, clasping her hands together, "Oh, yes! I'm absolutely certain!" He turned to smirk at her.

"Then thank you very much! You're incredible!" He lifted up a stack, "Alright, let's get these back to the library." He dropped them in a surprised Isabella's arms, causing the girl to grunt as she struggled not to drop them. He grinned at her, "Consider this part of your training. Build up some arm strength."

She sent him a dark look, and would've kicked him in the leg if she wasn't worried about dropping the stack of papers and crushing her flesh toe. Edward then grabbed a stack himself and tucked it against his side, causing Isabella's glare to intensify at how easily he was able to lift them, and walked away.

Alphonse handed a stack to Brosh, saying, "They should have related materials at the library. Let's go back there." Edward nodded in agreement and Elizabeth let out a shout when she nearly dropped the stack Al handed her. "Careful now."

"I-I'm trying!" She cried out, stumbling as she walked. Edward stopped walking, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh, I almost forgot Sheska's fee." He pulled out his wallet and wrote down a check with his pen, before handing the check _and _his watch to Ross. "Lieutenant...here. This is my registration number and my pocket watch for ID. Withdraw that amount from my annual research grants and make sure Sheska gets it, okay?"

He was the only one left in the room with Ross and Sheska.

Ross nodded, surprised, "Right, I'll get right on that, sir. I suppose I can just take this down to the State Alchemist's Office?"

"That should work!

Edward walked out of the room, and was greeted by Elizabeth who look up at him curiously. "Just how much money did you give them?" He looked surprised for a moment.

"You don't know?" He figured she would, since he and Al were just a "Story" from her gate. She shook her head and he smirked, walking away.

"H-Hey! What is it, Ed!? Tell me!" She demanded, running awkwardly after him as she tried to stop the notes from falling.

Ross and Sheska's screams echoed in the apartment.

"DID HE MISS A DECIMAL POINT SOMEWHERE!?"

"HOW DOES A BOY LIKE THAT HAVE _THIS _KIND OF MONEY TO THROW AROUND!?"

Isabella eyed Edward suspiciously and questioned, "Just what did you do?"

"Nothing important."

...Back at the library...

Brosh was ultimately confused, "I-I don't understand. These are _cookbooks_-what could they possibly do with Alchemy?"

Edward responded as he flipped a page, "Alchemy's a powerful art. It can be incredibly dangerous if misused."

"Isn't that a lovely thought?" Isabella cut in as she boredly flipped a page, not understanding what she was supposed to be looking for. She read some books on Alchemy in his,_ Tucker's_, library and that was it. Edward ignored her as he continued.

"In order to prevent that," He showed Brosh the paper and placed his hand against it, "Alchemic research is _always _encrypted. These are designed to look like recipes to the average person, but they're actually advanced chemical notes. Only the alchemists who originally wrote them can understand."

Brosh was even more confused, "If they're so heavily encrypted, then how are you going to be able to decipher them?"

Edward turned the paper back to him, "It's not going to be easy; we're going to have to use _all _of our alchemical knowledge."

"Which isn't a lot," Isabella cut in again, yawning. Edward sent her a glare.

"If you're not going to be helpful, go to the corner and nap!" The girl stood up, her chair scooting out from behind her, and stated with a lazy grin.

"My _pleasure_, blondie." Isabella was a bit of a pessimist, Brosh noted.

"I'm going to have to agree with Isabella on this, that sounds _really _complicated." Edward's eyes widened in surprise.

"Al, there's a section in here on Green Tea!" Elizabeth frowned in confusion as she sat next to Isabella at another table.

"Green Tea?" Alphonse questioned as he turned around, a stack of books in his arms, to stare at his brother. "Are you thinking what I am?"

"Uh-Huh. It might be a reference to the Green Lion of metallurgic alchemy. Do we have copies available of Flamel's Codex or Lambspring's concerning the Philosopher's Stone?"

Elizabeth had stress lines forming on her face, "Hah?" She made a funny face.

Isabella merely yawned and leaned her head back, out like a light as she snored silently. Elizabeth sweatdropped as she stared at the girl who was supposedly her older twin sister.

_What am I supposed to do with you? _Elizabeth wondered sometimes.

A week had passed and the teens still had no luck.

"Why does this encryption have to be so damn hard to figure out...?" Edward whined, exhausted as he layed his head down on the desk. Alphonse had face-planted into the desk, his helmet spike penetrating one of the papers and wood of the desk itself.

"I don't even _speak _gibberish!" Isabella complained, laying on the floor as one of her legs were in the air, the other resting on the chair she had fallen out of with her arms above her head.

Elizabeth was leaning against a bookshelf, books and papers surrounding her, stress lines forming on her face. "I know enough about alchemy to understand it, but this isn't making any _sense!_"

"Brother...maybe we should ask Dr. Marcoh about this directly?" Alphonse suggested, just as defeated.

"No way!" Edward sat up, clenching the paper and his pen tightly, "That'd be admitting defeat!"

"Admitting defeat or not...Can't we just get this over with?" Isabella demanded. She was irritated, she was tired, she hungry-she'd rather be at home with Gracia and Elicia and listening to Hughes rant about work.

"So this is a contest now!?" Alphonse was alarmed. Elizabeth had to agree with Edward-they couldn't just give up here!

"He's right, we have to keep going!" The tan girl grabbed a packet and flipped it open, reading through it for a few seconds before giving up defeat again, "I give up...I can't do it."

Isabella blinked at her, the girl's view upside-down from her current position.

A timid, familiar voice cut in, "Excuse me?" They looked up in surprise to see Sheska standing at the door.

"Sheska?" Edward asked in confusion. She walked in and stopped at the desk, bowing, and stood up straight with her hands clasped together in front of her.

"Thanks to the money you gave me, Edward, I was able to move my mother into a better hospital. I really appreciate it." She bowed again.

"Nah, it was no big deal, really." He waved his hand a few times, trying to get his point across.

She stood up and smiled at them, "Have you had any luck deciphering it so far?"

All _four _of them were sent into depression. Sheska looked at them nervously.

Alphonse decided to change the subject, "Have you found another job?"

Sheska was sent into depression. She quickly snapped out of it and sent them all another smile, "Anyway, you four made me feel better. It was nice to know that a pathetic mess like me could help out sometimes. So thanks for that as well."

**"You're not a pathetic mess." **Alphonse and Isabella appeared to have spoken at the same time, Isabella looking bitter as she said. Everyone looked at the two in surprise and Isabella quickly turned her head, allowing Alphonse to speak.

Despite how surprised he was, he continued, "I think that kind of dedication you show to reading is a talent all on its own. And besides that, your memory is incredible! You should have more faith in yourself!"

Sheska smiled at him after a few moments, "Thank you, Al."

_I never should have said anything, _Isabella thought bitterly, looking at wall from her spot on the floor, _He already had it covered. _Nobody was ever a pathetic mess. Not even her mother. Everyone has something they're good at, and that talent is what makes them who they are. It helps to define them. If anybody ever tries to say otherwise, they can just go screw themselves.

_...and now I want a hug. Where's... _She wanted to say it. She wanted to call him it. She was just too afraid. Isabella was afraid that once she truly called Hughes her father, she-_Elizabeth _wouldn't be able to save him.

They had a plan. Elizabeth came up with it and Elizabeth wanted to be the one to carry it out, as she wanted Isabella to meet the stupid Prince. Elizabeth was going to stay behind and either fight with Envy and get Hughes to escape, or barter with Envy to keep Hughes alive. It was both stupid and risky, but Elizabeth refused to let her have a word. However, the girl did have one strong point, and that was improvisation. She should be able to keep herself alive...

_Should _being the keyword.

_Maybe I should stay behind with her after all... _However that would be even _more _stupid. Isabella didn't know how to fight, she didn't know how to use alchemy, she could barely even lift a single stack of papers!

She was weak, she was a coward, and she could only wish she had the strength to defend herself and protect her loves ones.

But wishing does nothing, does it?

"Yo!" Isabella jolted at the familiar voice, screeching loudly as the chair her leg was on fell and landed roughly on top of her, "Whoa, Liz, you okay!?" Isabella grunted as she pushed the chair off of her.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes!" Edward exclaimed.

"I'm fine." Isabella cut in, forcing herself onto her feet and brushing her clothes off-flinching when her hand brushed against the spot where the chair had hit.

Hughes started to walk forwards, a hand in the air, "Major Armstrong told me you all were here!" He slammed his hands on the desk Edward was sitting at, "What gives Ed!? I thought I told you to give me a shout next time you made it to Central!?"

"Oh, well...Something came up. It was urgent, sorry..."

"It's just as well. I've been busy, too. And YOU-" He whirled around and pointed at Isabella, serious as he raised his voice. Isabella jolted and tensed, looking at him in alarm. "Just where have you _been_!? Not a single letter since you arrived in Central, not even a _visit _to tell us you were here!? You are in big trouble missy, do you _know _how much I've MISSED YOOOOOU!" He suddenly ran over and enveloped the girl in a hug, causing her to scream in protest and try to push Hughes off, despite how much she may have wanted one of his hugs.

"O-Off! Get off of me!"

He rubbed his face against hers, showing just how much he loved his adopted daughter. "I'm not letting you go!"

"S-Someone! Help me!" She cried out, placing a hand against Hughes' face as she tried to push him away. Edward smirked.

"Nah, this is actually kinda entertaining."

"Brother! Be nice!"

"What?"

Elizabeth didn't know what to do. _Should I be worried...? _

After a few minutes, Hughes finally released Isabella and grew serious. "We had a lot of cases to deal with, lately. And we're still working on getting the Tucker Chimera situation settled." He gasped as the room became silent, realizing his mistake. He looked at the teens nervously, "Ah, sorry... I guess that brings up some unpleasant memories, huh?" He was silent for a moment before pulling out the extra chair that sat at the desk and sat down, resting a cheek on his palm. "Anyway, as if that weren't bad enough for us already, the first branch had to burn down in the middle of all this."

Isabella pushed herself to her feet and asked curiously, "Something you needed?"

"That's been a problem, huh?" Edward questioned. Hughes nodded with a deep frown.

"A _big _one. All of our case records were stored in the stacks at that location." Hughes explained, talking with his hands. "Tryin' to work without them _hasn't _been a picnic, let me tell ya."

All the teens paused, a look of blatant realization forming on their faces.

Someone who needed a job and who read _and _memorized the books and notes is the First Branch...

"Uh, what?" Hughes didn't understand why they were looking at him like that. The four turned to look at Sheska, her face popping up in their minds. Hughes followed their gaze and Sheska blinked a few times before turning and looking at them surprised. She pointed at herself as she gasped.

Edward grinned, "Hey, Lt. Colonel! I think we've got the exact person you guys are looking for!"

Sheska held a finger to her chin as she commented thoughtfully, "Well, I _have_ read the Military Case Records, and I _do _remember them all..."

Elizabeth grinned, "She's broke and happens to be looking for a job?"

Hughes smiled widely, showing off his pearly white teeth. "That's all I needed to hear! Lady, you're hired! My Office pays well, so don't worry!"

"Oh, I-!" Sheska was alarmed, she could barely form a proper sentence. "You're saying I-that you want me-Oh," She glanced back at the brothers and sisters worriedly, unsure of what to do. After a few seconds where she was able to wrap her brain around what just happened, she smiled at them gratefully, "Oh, thank you so much! I'll have faith, just like you told me too! Thank you! Thank you!"

Hughes quickly grabbed Sheska by her sweater collar and gave his adopted daughter a one-sided hug, before he started to drag Sheska out of the Library.

"Come on, now, right to work!" Hughes declared with a wide smile. He started to laugh, ecstatic.

Edward had to comment with a small grin, sending an awkward wave, "What is he, a kidnapper? That geezer...She might not be thanking us for long."

Isabella spoke with a sweat drop, stress lines forming on her face, "I'm not too sure if I should be worried..."

Elizabeth told her with a smile, "Ah, relax! He's only going to be working her to the bone!" She yelped when a fist connected with her head.

"That _doesn't _help, stupid."

"I'm sorry!"

Alphonse chuckled at the sight and watched as his brother rested his head on the desk. Edward had his pen dangling out of his mouth as he thought quietly for a few moments. Edward sighed.

"How did you put it again, Al? "I think dedication is a talent all on its own"?" He questioned, letting out a small yawn. He blinked, "Very smooth, little brother, very smooth."

If Alphonse had a body, he'd probably be smirking. Instead, he rested his helmet-chin on the palm of his glove, saying, "Well, it's something I always think whenever I see a certain someone I know."

Edward flicked his pen in the air and caught it, grinning. "In that case, a certain someone should hurry up and get back to work, or else you're gonna have to come up with a new motivational phrase!"

Isabella reached over and picked up a book from next to Elizabeth, who had sat back down on the floor. She opened it and flipped through a few pages, dryly commenting, "I can tell this is going to be easy." Her face had taken that of boredom, making it look like she was about to fall asleep.

Elizabeth burst out laughing, while Edward merely smirked. He said, "Well, it wouldn't be any fun if it was _boring_, would it? Now sit down and watch the master!"

"Sure, mind telling me where he is?" A weight fell and dropped on top of Ed's head, causing his to cry out in protest at the fact that he may have been forced down a foot in height. "Oh, right, it was Alphonse, wasn't it?"

He gave her a dark look and ordered, pointing at a stack of papers, "SHUT UP AND GET TO WORK ALREADY!"

She raised her hands in mock surrender, "Aye-Aye, _your Majesty_." Isabella faked a bow and whirled around, careful to not make a bad step and trip.

Three days.

It had taken them three more days to figure it out.

Isabella felt like she was going to throw up, while Elizabeth just looked sad.

"It's even worse reading it from the pages..." She commented quietly, dropping the packet. Edward, in a fit of rage, threw a few books and the packet that contained the answer across the room, causing a loud _THUMP! _to resonate.

"_TO HELL WITH IT!_"

Brosh and Ross opened the doors in alarm, only to find them all sitting on the floor surrounded by books and notes and papers. The room was a _mess_.

"What did you guys _do _to this place!?" Brosh demanded, shocked.

Ross began, "Don't get angry just because you can't crack it-" Isabella cut her off, glaring at her darkly.

"Don't you dare finish that sentence. Don't. You. _Dare._" If she didn't know any better, Ross would've thought that was a twinge of fear she felt just then.

Alphonse spoke, "We did crack it..." His voice was quiet, "We cracked the code and encrypted the notes."

"Really, you did? But, that's a good thing, isn't it!?" Brosh was both excited and confused. They both jumped when Edward slammed his fist onto the ground, cursing loudly.

"There's nothing _good _about this, _damn it! _This _is _the Devil's Research; it should've been destroyed." Edward placed a hand against his face, "Doctor Marcoh was right...it's evil."

Brosh inquired, "What's so evil about it?"

"The main ingredient for a Philosopher Stone..." Edward began, sick to the stomach just thinking about it.

Elizabeth, who had known from the very beginning of what the main ingredient was, spoke for him. She looked at them with such a serious face, they knew she was not joking.

"_-is Human **life**."_

Edward continued, a hand over his mouth, "In order to manufacture even a _single _stone...it would require multiple Human sacrifices.

"How could the Military authorize research into something so horrible!?" Brosh demanded, alarmed and disgusted.

"I can't believe it...How _awful_." Ross said, horrified.

Edward sat up a little straighter, his bangs covering what it could of his eyes. "Do us a favor...Don't speak to anyone about this."

Brosh knelt down next to him and protested, "But, sir-!"

"_Please_. Just...pretend you never heard _any __of it._"

* * *

"I brought you some steak...Gracia made a little too much food last night and suggested I bring some over." Isabella spoke, eyeing the brothers with a bored look.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry..." Edward didn't even looked at her as he spoke, nor when she entered the room. "You can set it on the table over there."

Alphonse spoke, agreeing with the brunette, "Brother, you should eat breakfast. You have a living body that needs nutrition..."

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." Isabella felt her fingers twitch at Edward's words, the urge to hit him growing stronger by the second. She took a few steps into the room and set it on the coffee table next to the couch Edward was laying on and commented,

"You're an idiot."

He seemed to tense and turned his head to look at her. He had a deep frown on his face and he narrowed his eyes, demanding, "Who are you calling an idiot, idiot?"

"You." She replied bluntly, standing up as she crossed her arms. They were glaring down at each other again, and Alphonse could do nothing but watch and see where it would head.

"And how exactly am I an "idiot"?"

"By not taking care of yourself. If you aren't going to eat willingly, I _will _shove it down your throat myself." Edward looked a little surprised at that, only to harden his features as he sat up a little more.

"You wouldn't."

Her eyes narrowed darkly. "Don't make me come over there."

Alphonse tried to intervene, turning his head and lifting a hand up, "Guys, please don't fight-"

"As if you would!" Edward scoffed, accidentally cutting his brother off.

_Okay...That's **it**._ "I'm getting _sick _of your attitude, _really _quickly."

"What are you gonna do about it?" Edward challenged, propping himself up with his elbows. He raised an eyebrow, waiting to see what the girl would do. "Stand there and complain?"

She lunged at him so fast he almost didn't see her until he registered her left hand wrapped around his throat, the other on his jaw and forcing his mouth open. She was sitting on top of him. "Say, "ah", and I might let you feed yourself!" She released his neck and reached towards the coffee table, aiming for the fork to grab the stake to shove it down his throat, only to gasp when she was suddenly knocked off of him onto the floor, him on top of her with _his _hands pinning her wrists down.

"You call that an attack? Pathetic." She ground her teeth together and glared, before raising her right leg up and kneeing him in the stomach, flipping him over her and onto his back. She flinched and grunted when his head hit hers, and she quickly maneuvered on top of him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm not calling it an attack, stupid, it's called "putting-you-out-of-your-misery"!"

Alphonse was about to intervene, as he had started to call out to them, but paused and pulled his hand back at the realization that Isabella might be trying to cheer them up in her own strange, odd, and violent little way.

"Putting me out of my misery!?" Edward laughed, only to cough as her grip around his neck tightened a little. It wasn't enough to choke him, but enough to hurt a bit. He quickly grabbed one of her wrist and her other shoulder, before flipping her so it was in reverse again. He grinned at her, triumphant, "You couldn't hurt a fly! You have no muscle!"

He pinned her by her wrists again. He was about to say something, but paused, realizing what Isabella had been trying to do. She remained glaring though, and Edward pulled himself off of her, speaking softly, "You know...We try so hard to grasp the truth, but it always slips away..." Her eyes widened in surprise. Edward layed down on his back and raised his automail hand to the ceiling, stretching out his fingers before clenching his fist and opening it, observing it. "And now that we have finally now caught it, it turns out the truth is too dangerous to hold."

She slowly stood and stuck her hands in her jacket pocket, taking a few steps back to the door.

"You know, I'm beginning to think this is God's special way of torturing people of have committed taboos." Edward covered his face with his hand, "I wonder...if it'll be like this all our lives?"

Isabella opened the door and closed it, leaving the room quietly. Nobody noticed her absence.

"You know, Al...There's been something I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but I guess I've just been too afraid to say it." Alphonse lifted his head and stared at his brother in confusion.

"What?"

"I-" He was interupted by the door slamming open and closed, Elizabeth running in with Isabella's hand clasped tightly in hers. Elizabeth was screaming as she released Isabella to lock the door and ran to hide behind the couch with Al,

"Help! Armstrong's sparklies of doom are out to get me!"

The brothers look confused and turned to Isabella for help, who had shrugged with a pale face and went to hide next to Alphonse as well.

They received their answer at the loud and obnoxious pounding on the door, and equally obnoxious voice answering, "Elric Brothers, I know you're in there! Open up! This is the Major!"

"What do we do!?" Alphonse asked his brother worriedly. Elizabeth screeched in a whisper,

"Don't answer it!"

Ed stood up and spoke, "We ignore him, that's what. The door's locked, so he can't get in-"

He was cut off by the door breaking down with the remnants of the door handle in Armstrong's hand.

"I know what it said, Edward Elric!" He spoke, his loud voice reverberating all across the room. He had tears streaming down his faces as sparkles surrounded him.

Edward, Alphonse, Elizabeth, and even Isabella screamed.

"HOW TRAGiC! To think that the legend of the Philosopher's Stone could be build on such a _terrible _secret!"

Isabella looked alarmed at the fact that his mouth was actually moving rather than being hidden by his mustache.

Edward moved over to Ross and Brosh, giving them a peeved look.

"We're really sorry!"

"It's hard to stay quiet when someone like _him _asks you!"

Elizabeth screamed at them, voice going incredibly, "_That doesn't mean **answer **him!"_

Brosh cried out, "I'm sorry but it was difficult!"

Armstrong placed a hand to his chin, still sparkling, "Imagine the Military being behind something like that! Often the truth is more cruel than we bargained for!"

_"Hehe...Answers, answers, yet still so many__ questions..."_ Isabella froze at the familiar voice and looked around, only to see Elizabeth muttering to herself about "Truth" and "Riddles".

Was Truth speaking to her as well?

Edward's eyes widened. "The truth!" He gasped.

Alphonse was confused, "What is it, brother?"

"Do you remember what Dr. Marcoh said at the station? I didn't have a clue on what he was talking about_ then_, but now..." Edward placed a hand to his chin, smirking. "It's the same as with alchemical notes...What you can see on the surface is only a _portion _of the truth. There's still more to find here. There has to be."

...

"Currently, there are _four _operational laboratories in Central that have connections to the government," Armstrong explained after laying a map of the city on the coffee table.

Isabella muttered thoughtfully, her arms crossed as she leaned back in a chair that she pulled from the kitchen, "It's always the government...isn't it?"

Armstrong continued, ignoring the girl's remark, "We can narrow it down even further. Marcoh worked in the _third _laboratory. We should start with that one, it's the most suspect." He leaned over and placed his finger on it, indicating its location on the map.

Edward frowned, thinking deeply with a hand to his chin, "Hm...Al and I have been to all the laboratories in the city. None were doing any remarkable research."

Elizabeth piped up, attempting to give a hint, "Only the _working _ones, right?" Edward cast her a confused glance before returning his gaze to the map, observing it intently before having his eyes widened.

He quickly placed an index finger on a closed down building, "Here. What's this building used for?" He questioned, looking up at Ross who was standing close to him.

"It was designed for the fifth laboratory," She explained. "but it isn't currently in use. The building isn't structurally sound, so it's been classified off-limits."

Isabella grinned, "Bingo~!" She said in a high sing-song voice. Edward nodded in agreement, to focused with his thoughts to realized _who _he agreed with.

"It's there," He told them, certain. Brosh looked over Ed's shoulder from behind the couch confused.

"Huh...? How can you be so sure that's it?" Edward pointed at the building next to the closed-off laboratory and explained simply,

"There's a prison right next door."

Isabella felt sick again, "And just _what _do you need for a stone?"

Brosh stood up and raised a hand to his mouth in thought, "You said it needed live humans..." He trailed off, the horrible realization hitting him. He looked slightly ill. Edward nodded and inhaled deeply.

He continued, "There'd be _plenty _of condemned criminals in the prison. Officially, they'd be recorded as _executed_."

Ross had covered her mouth with her hand, her face a little blue. "They're using the prisoners to make the stone?" She sounded like she was about to hurl.

Everyone looked at Edward and he raised his hands up in his defense, "Don't look at me like that! I don't like talking about this anymore than you."

Alphonse finally spoke from his spot next to Brosh, "Prisons from other jurisdictions could be used, too...I wonder if the government is involved?"

Isabella stated bluntly, "The government is _always _involved. Haven't you ever heard the song _Superhero_?" Everyone looked at her in confusion and Edward asked with a sweatdrop.

"Was there a point to that?"

Isabella made to continue, but Elizabeth beat her to it excitedly. She had clapped her hands together and looked like she was about to jump up-and-down, "I know that song! It was done by Vocaloid and the basis of it is; A boy tried to become a superhero, because he envied them so much, and wanted to bring good to the world, so he started helping out people in the neighborhood with their trash, and getting their cats out of the trees...stuff like that. Anyway, he started to stop robbers and stuff, too, and eventually, he learned that the _real _evil wasn't in the civilians, it was in the government! So he was all, "so what if a few lives are lost in the process" and started to kill the people who worked for the government in hopes that the world could become a better place-well, eventually people started to call him a murderer and stuff and he was sent to jail, and he remarked that he never saw a hero have an ending like that, and well, goes to prove how evil the government is and stuff...I guess..."

Elizabeth had started to grow awkward as everyone continued to stare at her, so she started to trail off.

Edward commented, "I guess I can see where you're getting at...Though what's "Vocaloid"?"

Isabella cut in, sitting up straight and saying loudly, "_Ooookay! _Can we get back to the topic, please? Wondering if the government is involved!?"

Ross spoke, a disgusted look on her features, "Why am I getting the feeling that we're getting involved in something really dangerous here?" She had stress lines forming on her face.

Alphonse exclaimed, raising his fists up as he ranted at them, "That's why we told you to act like you never heard anything!"

Isabella face-palmed and groaned, slouching back in her seat, "Can this day just be over with...?"

Armstrong was standing at the doorway now, the map rolled up and in his hands. He looked over his shoulder and said, "This has the potential of becoming a political nightmare before long. I'll look into what we talked about tonight. In the meantime, officers..." He turned around completely to address Ross and Brosh, "Speak of this to no one."

They saluted, **"Sir!" **

He looked at Edward, Alphonse, Isabella, and Elizabeth, and said, "And you four...behave yourselves!" They all jumped up, alarmed as they stared at Armstrong.

Elizabeth quickly took to hiding behind the couch. Anger marks formed on Armstrong's face as he glared at them, red lights forming in his eyes as he looked down at them.

"I know you children! You were thinking about sneaking into this building and looking around, weren't you!? ADMIT IT!"

They all stood up and raised their hands, shaking their heads in completely unison as they cried out,

**"We weren't, we weren't, we promise!" **

...

"Yeah, sure we weren't." Edward scoffed as he and his brother, along with Isabella, were running towards the fifth laboratory.

_It was probably a good idea that Elizabeth decided to stay behind...After all, we DO need someone to cover for us. _She thought, frowning. They stopped at a nearby wall and peered over to look at the entrance gate, where a sign that read "KEEP OUT" in big bold letters was hanging. In front of the gate was a MP, which stand for Military Police.

Edward commented quietly, "Hmm...A guard posted at an unused building. Interesting." They watched as the guard yawned and stretched, seemingly tired.

Al agreed with his brother, "That is suspicious."

"Nope, just a little crazy." Isabella told them, frowning. Edward sent her a look but said nothing, merely moving away and letting the two follow him.

"How do we get in?" Alphonse questioned curiously. Edward said thoughtfully,

"We _could _make our own entrance." Isabella snorted and Edward sent her a glare, on she sent _right _back.

Al pointed out, "They'd notice the light from the transmutic reaction." Isabella made a face.

Great. More things she didn't know how to do. Alchemy. You think she _would _due to the fact that she's seen the truth, but then again she never did try Alchemy herself. She doesn't even know how to fight properly.

And here she was getting herself into even more trouble, despite what had happened with Scar.

Edward looked up at the huge wall, that had barbed wire at the top, and said "Well, in that case..." Alphonse crouched down and had Edward stand on his hands, before exclaiming quietly,

"And...up!" And throwing Edward into the air. Isabella was surprised that he didn't hit the wall. She then made a face as she realized that she was actually glad that the blonde bimbo didn't get hurt. _It's not like he's my friend...Why should I care? _However, she remembered what she called them in her mind when they had faced off against Scar, how she wondered if she had the courage to face death countless number of times as she goes and travels with them, and to try and protect herself and the brothers, the people who she had called _friends_.

She'll deny it if outright asked, and maybe even deny it herself sometimes, but the Elric brothers-_even _that stupid blonde bimbo- were her friends.

Isabella stuck her hands in her hoodie pockets, only to blink in surprise at the feel of a hair-tie. Pulling it out, she stared at it for a few moments before deciding to put her hair up in a high-pony, figuring that if there was fight, she'd need to be able to see. She looked up in time to see a rope of barbed wire trail down the wall, and the girl became really glad that she was wearing her fingerless gloves again. Alphonse let her climb first, him following shortly behind, and she pushed herself up onto the rock wall.

"Grab on," Alphonse told her once Edward jumped off and landed on all fours. She looked down at the ground horrified, seeing how high they were, and let him carry her without protest. He quickly jumped off and landed with a loud _THUD! _his armor shaking a little before he composed himself and set Isabella on her feet, who had let out a sigh of relief.

"I hate heights..." She muttered softly, shaking her head. She looked up at Al and nodded, symbolizing her thanks, and chased after him as he followed his brother. They arrived to an entrance that was not only boarded shut, but had metal bars in front of it for back-up. "Someone's not taking any chances."

Edward nodded in agreement again. "No kidding." He then placed a hand to his chin again, looking around for an opening.

Isabella pointed upwards at hole that appeared to be a ventilation shaft that had the casing removed, leaving the opening wide open for critters and all sorts of things to crawl in, "Look up."

"Huh?" He did so, before grinning. He quickly had Al hoist him and Isabella up. He looked down at his brother, "Al, you need to wait here."

"You sure you two are going to be fine on your own?" He asked worriedly. Isabella bit back a grin. She quickly crawled in with Edward right behind her.

"Whether we're fine on our own or not isn't the issue," Edward told his younger brother. "You're too big to get through here."

As they crawled, Isabella could here a faint, "It's not like I asked to get this big" in a highly dejected voice. Speaking, she raised her voice, "You know, you could've been a bit nicer."

Edward made a face as they crawled, "Yeah, yeah, I wasn't being mean or anything. I was stating a fact. Now keep crawling..." After a few more minutes of crawling, he said, "Damn...It's even tighter in here than I thought." Isabella had to agree. It was getting even harder to move in the vent and-_Please, tell me that wasn't a spider web...Calm down, calm down... _She inhaled deeply and decided to listen to Edward talk, "I couldn't get through this far if I was regular-sized."

_Same here...Hold on...No. NO! I AM NOT! I REFUSE! _

"Luck I've got a small body..." There was a brief silence before Edward screamed, "OH _NOOO!_ I JUST CALLED MYSELF A TINY LITTLE _PIPSQUUEEEEEK!_" In his anger, he kicked open a vent hatch and jumped down. Isabella scooted backwards, looking utterly horrified as a spider crawled beside her face on the vent wall, and quickly pushed whatever hesitation she had about jumping and _lunged _down onto the ground, crying out as she landed awkwardly and fell on her knees.

"What the hell was that?" Edward demanded, surprised. "You alright?" She huffed and pushed herself onto her feet, wincing a little as her knees now stung, and brushed her clothes off and rubbed her arms in paranoia of bugs.

"Yeah, yeah, fine..." She then snapped, "Unlike you, I don't jump from buildings twenty-four seven!" His worried look formed into that of annoyance.

"I don't jump from _buildings twenty-four seven!_ What kind of person do you think I am?"

"I don't know; a blonde?" He sent Isabella a glare, who merely stared at him apathetically. He snapped,

"What's wrong with being a blonde!?"

Nothing. Unless you're Edward Elric. Deciding to mess with him a little bit more, Isabella replied, "Everything."

He growled at her angrily, before huffing and turning his back to her, observing the hallway. It was dark and cold, and even a little bit damp. Spiderwebs were everywhere, obviously from having not been taken care of as it was "shut-down". The only thing that allowed them to see was that face that, "There are lights on." He stated in surprise. He then stated in amusement, "Not currently in use". Just who are they trying to fool?"

"You?"

"Shut up!"

**SO SORRY! LATE UPDATE, I KNOW, BUT I'VE BEEN SICK AND I GET EVEN MORE LAZIER THAN USUAL AND EVEN A LITTLE APATHETIC, SO I STOPPED CARING ABOUT MOST THINGS FOR A BIT AND ENDED UP PROCRASTINATING EVEN MORE THAN USUAL! Oh, question, what do you think of Isabella's relationship with Edward and Alphonse? And what about Elizabeth? I'm really wondering about her, because she needs to be in here for the sequel which will just basically be HER story rather than Isabella's. **

**READ AND REVIEW, please. **

**needless stuff that doesn't need to be read...**

**Just finished Blood of Olympus...I am officially a shipper of Solangelo now... :) THEY ARE JUST SO CUTE! **

**I can't wait until I get to the part with Ling in this story...Then it BEGINS. And, in case some of you are wondering, no this is not an EdxOC story of even an AlphosnexOC. This is an OCxLing story and a ONE-SIDED OCxEd. Ed has no feelings for anyone except Winry, who he WILL still end up with. That isn't changing. I just need a little heartbreak in here. **


	8. The Fifth Laboratory

Despite the few disagreements every so often, Isabella and Edward finally found themselves in a room with a giant transmutation circle drawn around, with bits of dried blood here and there. In the middle of the transmutation circle, there was a tree stump with another circle engraved into it.

Isabella's eyes widened, slightly alarmed at the sight of the dried blood, and felt that this scene looked oddly familiar. "What the hell...?"

Edward frowned and said, gaining a smirk, "I bet this is what they used to make a Philosopher Stone." Isabella blinked, feeling out-of-character-ly-stupid.

That's right. It was part of the show and then..._What's supposed to happen next? _She wondered, unable to remember everything. Isabella did remember that Edward got stabbed in the side during a certain part of this episode, but that was about it. She didn't remember what happened before or after that.

A voice, one that had the same echo-like way of talking as Alphonse, spoke, "Yes, that's right." The two teens turned their heads in surprise, tensing at the newcomer. "I don't who you are, boy, but you sure figured out a lot just by looking at a transmutation circle." He said, walking into view and revealing a man in a suit of old samurai-style-like armor.

"I'm just good like that," Edward replied with narrowed eyes, before demanding, "Who are you, pal?" Isabella just stood quietly in the background, hands in her jacket pockets, eyeing the newcomer's sword cautiously.

_I don't believe I brought my kunais with me, _She thought with a deep frown, her eyes becoming half-lidded and making it look like she was bored. _I don't know much about alchemy either, other than to clap my hands and BOOM! I transmute. I won't be able to put up much of fight if it comes down to it. _She was already cornered and the fight hadn't even begun yet.

Invisible to all of them, an arrow reading "Unreliable Heroine" popped up in the air and pointed at the girl.

The man in armor continued to walk towards them, a sword dangling at his side, and explained, "The one in charge of guarding this place from curious little brats." He gazed at the two with red eyes, glowing from behind his helmet. "Let's just go with in the meantime, that mine name is 48." He stopped, standing half-way across them and a rather good distance away from them. "And believe me, I'm not your "pal"."

Isabella spoke up, eyeing him suspiciously. "I take it that means you're here to "eliminate" us." It was more of a statement than a question.

He looked at her with mild-interest. "Dully observant, _girl_." Her eyebrow twitched slightly. "My orders are to dispose of anyone who wanders in here, poking their noses where they don't belong. Try not to take it personally, _kids_."

Edward looked at him, unimpressed as he clapped his hands together. "Alright, I won't." He quickly turned his arm into a blade. He glared at 48. "And _you _try not to take it too personally when this _kid _kicks yours ass!" He looked at Isabella out of the corner of his eyes for a second before reverting his gaze back to 48, "Isabel, stay behind me and out of the way."

She opened her mouth to argue, about to say that she wasn't going to be taking orders from a suicidal blonde brat like him, when she realized he was doing the same thing he did during Scar's attack, and quickly shut it. She huffed and pulled her hands out of her pockets, crossing her arms over her chest, "Whatever...Don't die, blondie."

48 spoke, "Hm...You're an alchemist are you?" He suddenly appeared in front of Edward with amazing speed, causing the blonde's eyes to widen considerably. He tensed, shoulders shaking from fear. "Alright then...Let's see what you got." He slashed with his sword so fast, Edward almost didn't have time to block it.

Isabella sat down and crossed her legs, her hands resting in her lap as she watched the fight take place. Hey, if Edward wasn't going to fight, what was the point of _her _getting involved? Besides, 48 didn't seem too interested in her.

She watched as 48 swung his sword down, aiming at Edward's head, and watched as the blonde raised his right arm up to block it. He grit his teeth and jumped back.

"A prosthetic arm, huh?" 48 noted, before lunging forward and aiming to slash at Edward's stomach. "No matter-" Isabella's eyes widened at this, and quickly began to untie one of her shoes as fast as she could. "-my sword can pierce steel-" She pulled it off and stood quickly, stumbling a little as she reeled her arm back to aim, "-as well as flesh!" She threw her shoe at 48, just as he backed Edward against a pillar and locked blades with him. It bounced harmlessly off of his shoulder and the girl held back a flinch, seeing how pathetically useless that was.

_Okay, aim for the head next time... _She noted and began to untie the other shoe.

48 turned his head to look at her for a brief moment after the shoe hit him, and Edward took advantage of the distraction to slash across his chest and make the suit of armor jump back. Edward stared at him in surprise, before grinning strangely. "My, my, what's this?" Sweat was beading down his face, a nervous look in his eyes. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say you're hollow inside!"

48 stood up straight, eyeing Edward through his red eyes. "You're a perceptive one."

"I could tell from the sound," He explained, "I spar against someone like you all the time!"

Isabella watched with a frown, furrowing her eyebrows. She was missing something important-something in the back of her head from one of the memories that had faded and blurred over time.

The suit of armor sounded genuinely surprised, "So, there are people like me, too, out there? That's surprising."

Edward smirked darkly, "Yeah, it makes me _sick_. To think there's more than one idiot in the world who would come up with the brilliant idea of bonding a disembodied soul to a suit of armor."

"Hmm...Perhaps I should introduce myself again; Forty-Eight is the number I was given when I was assigned Death Row." He explained, "Back when I still had a living body, I was better known as Slicer. I was a mass murderer, you see."

Isabella paused, recognizing that from somewhere. Didn't she read an article once about a pair of brothers who...who murdered people? It hit her-A few months back before she appeared, Hughes had been working on a case on a pair of mass murdering brothers, and it took at least three whole months before they managed to catch the culprits. She was bored one day and found a bunch of old articles to read.

"So you were slated for execution," Edward rationalized. He then said, "Tell me something, then. This laboratory...Are they using condemned prisoners to make Philosopher Stones here?"

"That I can't tell you," Slicer replied. "That isn't my "area". They simply recognized my skills, gave me this body, and me their _trusty _guard dog."

Isabella couldn't help but comment, "Well, that seems like fun." Her sarcasm was showing again.

He cast her a brief glance and said, "It's going to fun slicing you up once I'm finished with this brat, _girl_."

Her eyebrow twitched again, "Call me that again and you get a shoe to the face."

"Interesting," Edward commented, "I'm sure they gave you a seal, too; to serve as medium between soul and armor?"

"Yes, I have a bloodseal." He pulled the cloth off of his helmet's "mouth" and lifted up the face plate. There was a bloodseal on the inside of the helmet head. "This is it, here. If you destroy this...the fight's yours." Edward stared at the suit of armor suspiciously.

"That's rather generous of you to show me your weak spot..."

"I like to give myself a little extra challenge during a fight now and then," Was his response. Ed grinned.

"As long as you're in such a giving mood, then how about this; why not just let me and my friend go?" Isabella's eyes widened and she looked at the blonde in surprise. He thought of her as a friend?

_I'm hallucinating... _She decided, nodding firm in her recent discovery. Deciding to speak up, she added, "Preferably unharmed and in one piece would be good, too."

Slicer placed his mask and cloth back on and over his "mouth" and said in amusement, "Nice try, kids, but what kind of _mass murderer _lets his prey get away so easily?"

Deciding to take a page out of Elizabeth's book, Isabella suggested with an awkward grin, "The nice kind?"

"Very funny. Now, let's fight."

* * *

"Did you hear what I just said?" Hughes asked excitedly, a grin on his older face. He gushed loudly, shaking his bottom back-and-forth as he talked to Roy on the phone, "My darling little Elicia is about to turn _three! _And, not to mention my beautiful teenage girl, Liz, is going to be _fourteen _in just a few months! Oh, I'm so excited! Two darling daughters and they're _growing!_" He gushed, placing a hand against his face as he gained stars in his eyes.

"_Lieutenant Colonel Hughes,_" Mustang replied on the phone annoyed, "_do you think this could wait? I'm at work." _It was currently night time, and Mustang was a little more than irritated. Hughes laughed.

"Oh, what a coincidence! I'm at work, too!" He started to gush again, the lady at the desk nearby gaining a sour look on her face at Hughes' annoying little habits. "Elicia's the cutest little thing! You should see her!" Hughes pulled out three photos, currently staring at one of Elicia with her arms in the air spread out with a giant smile on her face. Her green eyes were sparkling happily.

_"I'm sure she's adorable-"_ Hughes cut him off, rambling on about his _other _daughter.

"-she's just about dating age! I can't wait until she gets a boyfriend-but if he even _thinks _about mistreating her I'll-" Roy cut him off, cursing Hughes mentally and telling himself that Hughes is lucky that he's his best friend, otherwise he'd be getting an _earful _right now.

_"Yes, I'm sure she'll find someone charming. Now stop calling me to gush about either daughter, especially one I sent over for you watch over-not adopt without even telling me first-and on a military line, too!"_

Hughes made a face, an angered star flashing in his eyes. "Not just my daughters, Colonel. And what's the matter with having adopted her? She's practically part of the family." He said this with a completely serious face, "We're the only family she has. I'm sorry, but whether you like or not, I'm her father now. I'm never going to replace her birth father, but I can at least be there for her and guide her on the right path. She may not see me as her father, or even her adopted father, but I see her as my daughter and that's something that will never change."

_"Hughes..." _Roy wasn't sure how to respond to that. Hughes could just imagine the dark-haired man pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed. _"Fine, whatever you say." _

"And besides," Hughes became cheery again, "I'll gush over my wife, too!" He was looking at all three pictures now. One of Elicia, one of Gracia, and one of Isabella. Hughes had a ridiculous blush on his face that was accompanied by a goofy grin. He knew Roy must be aggravated beyond comprehension by now and decided that his playtime was over. He was still smiling, though, as he said, "I know, I know, it's your turn, now! Go ahead Colonel. I know you're dying to gush over your own..." he lowered his voice as he said, "Scar-faced Ishvalan."

_"We've found many bodies on the sight where he vanished," _Roy began, pausing before he had spoken. "_But all of them have been so decomposed its been difficult to identify them. He hasn't been sighted anywhere in the East. So, at the present, many people here think it's most likely that he's dead." _

"If that's the case, then I should be able to lift the bodyguards off of the Elric Brothers and Isabella." Speaking of her, he might just go and pay her a visit later. He hadn't seen her since she left with the left-over steak that Gracia made to give the Elric brothers, despite him telling her how dangerous it was to go out at that time of day by herself. It had still been daylight, but it didn't mean he was any less worried.

But the girl had seemed dead-set on getting the steak to them, saying how that if she didn't bring them food they were just going to starve themselves. And by "they", she means "Edward", seeing as Alphonse is unable to eat. _Knowing her,_ Hughes mused, _she had probably lied to them and said that Gracia asked her to bring it over. _He still wants to know what had made her so detached and unwilling to get close to people in the first place. He deduced that it involved something about her family being dead, but he wanted to hear it from the teen herself.

He let a small smile cross his face, realizing that he worried too much. He shook his head, and paused to listen as Roy asked,

_"Is Major Armstrong still in charge of their instructive detail?"_

Hughes smiled again, "He was, but a couple of their men had taken over now."

* * *

Somewhere Brosh was crying and Ross was yelling angrily, having been duped by the brothers and tricked. She held a struggling Elizabeth in her grip, who was apologizing profusely for having lied to them. She was begging to be released. Brosh was too worried about Armstrong taking his shirt and yelling at them. Ross was trembling with anger.

* * *

Isabella looked on with alarm when the two suddenly ran at each other screaming and hit each other, their weapons giving a loud _CLANG! _and causing them to back up before attacking each other again. As Edward ducked and dodged, a sudden look of pain formed on his face and Isabella noticed. She had a feeling that she would need to throw her shoe, soon.

Edward removed his gaze from his left shoulder in time to see Slicer slash at his head. He ducked just in time and moved to the left. He jumped in the air and flipped backwards, pressing his left hand against the ground for balance as he landed on his feet. Slicer chased after him, swinging his sword as he ran at a normal pace, and Edward quickly dodged.

Isabella noted the look of nervous determination on his face, like he realized something bad and knew he had to end the fight as fast as possible, and reeled her arm back as she waited for the opportune moment.

"Or else...we're _dead!_" He exclaimed suddenly, sliding back with his feet after deflecting another attack. He charged towards Slicer only to have his attack deflected and dodged. Edward grunted and let out a small shout as he ducked to avoid getting his head cut off. Edward made to attack again, to no avail, and was sent back a few feet. He ran again, only to have Slicer hit Edward's blade and kick the boy in the stomach. Edward was sent flying and he landed on his back painfully.

Slicer walked towards him and aimed his sword above Edward's stomach, causing the boy's eyes to widen, and lunged. Edward rolled out of the way in time and jumped up, trying to stay alive. Slicer slashed at him again and Edward did another back flip, only to make a pained face when blood suddenly spurted out of his left shoulder. He started to walk backwards when Slicer started to charge at him, only to find him up against a column.

He was cornered. Edward seemed to realize this as he looked to the side, and gratefully took the distraction of another shoe hitting the suit of armor in the head to move out of the way.

Slicer seemed irritated at this and appeared in front of Isabella suddenly, causing the girl to look up in alarm and fear. She saw his sword raise and quickly screamed as she threw herself to the right, tripping over her own feet, and broke out into a run.

_Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea, bad idea, bad idea-! _She screamed in her head, frantically trying to dodge Slicer's attacks. What was she thinking? It wasn't like she had anything to prove and she just _had _to go and make the murderous suit of armor angry.

"Slow down, _girl_," Slicer told her tauntingly, causing the girl to accidentally look behind her and trip-slamming onto the ground.

"Isabella!" Edward shouted, before growling and racing towards Slicer, "Hey! Your fight is with me!" Slicer seemed to ignore him as he raised his blade and thrust it downwards, Isabella rolling onto her side in time to avoid getting punctured, but too slow to avoid getting a cut to the forehead. She flinched at the feel of blood running down her face, and quickly pushed herself up. Her eyes grew wide and she let out a small scream as she raised her left arm up to block, his sword clashing against her steel arm.

She was breathing heavily, adrenaline coursing in her veins. Slicer quickly raised his foot and kicked her in the chest, sending her flying backwards and landing roughly on her side. She coughed and pushed herself up quickly, expecting that she would need to run for her life again soon. However, she was then greeted at the sight of Edward and Slicer fighting each other again.

She felt _pathetic_. She couldn't fight- she didn't know how. Her alchemy was also at the lowest level, despite also being one to see the Gate of Truth and able to do alchemy without a transmutation circle. Edward was getting beat to a pulp and she couldn't even do anything to help except throw shoes at the armored body. From her spot on the floor, she watched Edward dodge and attack and dodge the murderer over and over again, the process forever repeating with the occasional slash on Edward's body.

Slicer commented teasingly as Edward tripped and landed on his butt, "What a cute little monkey."

Edward snapped, a sore spot hit, and demanded, "Who you calling _little_!?" Slicer laughed and Isabella felt the fear bubble inside her. She could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes as she sat there. She lifted a hand up to her face, brushing away some of the blood.

"It's been too long since I've had prey that was _worth _hunting," He told him, and the girl noticed how dry her throat felt. Slicer sounded disappointed as he plucked his sword up out of the ground, "But you're tired and wounded now..." She had to think. She had to find a way to help Edward. "You won't last much longer."

_Maybe-no...I can't do alchemy. I **know **I can't so why..._ She bit her lip, watching fearfully as Slicer continued.

"Right about now, my partner should be finishing off the companion you left outside."

Both teens thought of Alphonse, and they were both worried. However, Edward narrowed his eyes as he clutched his left arm, asking, "Is this companion of yours strong?"

"Yes he is. He isn't as strong as I am, though." Edward burst out into laughter and Isabella felt a relieved smile cross her face.

She spoke, smirking, "In that case I don't think we should worry."

Edward nodded in agreement as he stood, grinning. "Oh, yeah. You see, we've been sparring partners a long time. And I've _still _never beaten him!"

Slicer held his sword with both hands and pointed it at Edward. "Your brother is that good, is he? Then I'll have to hurry up and defeat you, so I can get around to taking care of him."

Isabella felt herself raising her hands, the fear of dying coming back to haunt her, and was prepared to press them together when Edward suddenly shouted as he turned his head, "Go, Al! Do it now!"

"What!?" It was stupid, incredibly cliche, and unoriginal, but when he turned around to look behind him Isabella clapped her hands together and turned the palm of her automail hand into a blade. Not as long as Edward's, nor probably as useful, but it was better than nothing and all she had to offer.

She and Edward both charged, screaming, and attacked.

This was the only thing she could do. She couldn't fight very well, she barely knew any alchemy, and the only thing she was capable of was solving puzzles.

Well, this puzzle was about to be solved, Isabella Christine Hughes be _damned. _

She wasn't going to die, Edward wasn't going to die, and _neither _was her father. No one was going to die if she could help it. That was what she had thought as she screamed, charging towards Slicer with a mad, scared look in her eye as she raised her arm up above her head, prepared to strike.

Edward jumped in the air and knocked Slicer's helmet off, and was left with a rattling arm as she had hit bare metal. She cried out in pain and gripped her arm, now feeling like a complete idiot for doing something so stupid.

_I should've just left the fight to Edward, _She thought bitterly.

Slicer yelled angrily, "That was _dirty!_"

"There's no such thing as "dirty" in a fight!" Isabella raised a leg and kicked Slicer's body angrily, knocking it onto the ground.

"All is fair in war, dumbass!" She growled, glaring at it. Something about the armor didn't sit right with her. She was missing something important. Something about Slicer and that armor of his... She tensed and stood up in alarm at the sound of clanging metal, but relaxed when she saw it was just Slicer's head bouncing against the ground. Edward clapped his hand and de-transmuted his blade, reverting it back to his normal hand.

Isabella kept hers, however, as she was still paranoid, and curled her fingers around the blade as if she were holding a kunai.

"What's the matter?" Slicer asked, a bitter tone in his voice as he watched Edward walk over to him. "You still haven't destroyed the bloodseal I so kind pointed out..." Isabella took a few steps away from the armor and towards Edward. "Are you going to or not?" Edward lifted the Helmet up by its plume.

"There's something I need to ask you about." The bad feeling returned, and Isabella's eyes darted nervously around the room.

"The Philosopher's Stone." Slicer clarified, already knowing what Edward was going to ask.

"Yes. Tell me everything you know about it."

"Sorry, can't." Edward sent Slicer a dark look, saying,

"Hey, now. Tell me. I did beat you at your own game." The feeling was stronger now, and Isabella realized what she was missing.

The article said it was a pair of mass murdering _brothers_. So why was there only _one_? Her eyes widened in horror, and Edward turned to look at her in confusion.

"That's where you're wrong. I'm not beaten yet." Slicer finished and Isabella reacted out towards Edward out of instinct. The sound of creaking armor hit her ears and before she had even realized what she was doing, her hands found themselves on Edward's arm as she pushed him out of the way, stumbling as she moved to where he was standing previously.

Pain pierced her back and she could feel the liquid bubbling up her throat. She could _feel _the blade inside of her, indescribable pain flaring through her insides.

Edward's eyes were horrified, and were looking down at a place on her stomach. Slowly, Isabella's gaze traveled down, and right where her liver should be, was a blade dyed crimson.

"M-My bad..." She choked, tears streaming down her face faster than she could hold them back, and hacked up blood as he suit of armor pulled out the blade.

Her legs gave out and she toppled onto the floor, blood staining her clothes and pooling around her on the floor.

"I-Isabella...?" The girl rolled painfully onto her side, coughing and hacking. "Impossible..."

Slicer started to explain, the helmet resting on the ground, "I forgot to mention something about this mass murderer named Slicer..."

"His crimes were really done by a pair of brothers." The suit finished, raising a hand.

She could feel herself becoming dizzy, and decided to rid herself of the blade while she was still conscious. Her hand turned back to normal and she looked around for a spot away from the fighting-and saw a _really friendly _looking column. She attempted to stand and slowly stumbled over there, collapsing before she was even half-way.

"An independent head and body? That's a dirty trick!" Edward growled, glaring at them. Isabella crawled the rest of the way, creating a trail of blood, and pulled herself up as she sat down, her back resting against the column.

"Now, now," Slicer said, "Were't you the one who said there was no such thing as "dirty" in a fight?"

The younger brother, who is now just going to be called "48", asked curiously, "Are you ready? Round two's about to begin, short stuff."

"Don't call me _short!_" Edward snapped as the suit of armor charged. He raised his hands together, only to be knocked back as 48 swung his sword rapidly.

"I don't think so; I'm not going to give you _time _to transmute!" Edward was unable to block when 48 slammed the butt of his sword into Edward's stomach, causing him to cry out and fly back. He slammed against a column. _Not good, not good! _

_Did Edward just... _Isabella thoughts were slowing down on her, black dots dancing in her vision, _slam into a pillar? _Or was it a column? She wasn't that sure anymore. She watched helplessly as 48 charged towards Edward, sword ready to swing. _He's going to die...We're both going to die here, after all. _She was unable to help. How pathetic was that?

_Here it comes...I'm going to die. I'm going to die! _An image of Scar flashed through Edward's head, and he clapped his hands together.

"Die!"

Edward pushed himself off the column and ducked, lurching forward and slamming a hand against the younger brother's armor chest-plate. Blue electricity crackled and separated the torso from the lower body. The pieces of armor fell onto the floor, the older brother gasping. Edward fell onto his knees, panting heavily. "You reminded me of someone I don't like...and now I've done exactly what he did."

48 cried out angrily, his arms wriggling about, "How could you little brat!?"

Edward screamed and pressed himself against the column, clutching his bleeding shoulder. "He's wriggling-that's _freaky!_"

48 stopped moving and relaxed, crying out, "Brother!" Slicer sighed.

"As much as I'd hate to admit, we've lost." Edward's gaze traveled to Isabella's nearly unconscious form for a moment before he looked at the lower half of the younger brother's armor and poked it nervously with his foot.

"So you're not going to tell me you're really _three _brothers, are you?" 48 waved his arm lazily.

"No, no..." Slicer said as Edward sat up,

"Come on, boy, you won! Hurry up and destroy us!" Edward scoffed and turned his head.

"No. I'm not a murderer."

Isabella could barely see now. She pressed hand roughly against her wound as if it would stop the bleeding-but it was going to be impossible as she was penetrated all the way through.

"With bodies like these, are we really even people?"

"...I consider you people whether you have physical bodies or not. If I didn't, then that would mean I wouldn't even consider my own brother as a person, either." He looked up at the brothers through narrowed eyes. "I know my brother is a human being. That means you guys are human, too...I will _not _take the life of another person." Speaking of which, he'll need to get up soon and get him and Isabella out of here. She needed medical treatment _fast_.

"Oh?" Slicer asked and was silent for a few moments, before bursting out laughter. Edward looked at him in confusion.

"Brother?" 48 asked worriedly.

Slicer began, voice highly amused, "My brother and I have been lying, cheating, stealing, and killing together for as long as we can remember! And now that we're in these pseudo-bodies, we're being treated as humans for the first time! Don't you see the irony? For that boy, I'll give you a parting gift. I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you who made the Philosopher's Stone and who ordered us to guard this place." He seemed like he was about to say more, but was cut off when _tendrils _pierced his helmet and lifted him off the ground.

Edward gasped and Isabella look on with wide, slightly dazed, eyes.

"My, that was a close call." A smooth, deep female voice said. It was almost seductive, but not quite there. A woman with an hourglass figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing bright red lips and pink eyes. "Number 48, you should know better than to talk about things that don't concern you." The tendrils were apparently her fingers, and retracted until the helmet was in the woman's hands. Suddenly a palm tree came from behind the woman and spoke,

"Well, well, would you look at that? What's the Fullmetal Pipsqueak and his midget friend doing here?" The palm tree was revealed to actually be a person, with _very _green hair.

"Such troublesome children," The woman stated, eyeing them disappointingly. At the sight of the woman's figure, Isabella looked down at herself and felt a small pang of envy, seeing how flat she was compared to the woman in front of her. "How did you find out about this place?" She and Edward then watched in horror as Slicer's helmet was split in half, crashing against the ground.

48 called out in horror, "Brother! Brother! _BROTHER!" _

The person with the green hair grabbed his sword and slammed in roughly onto his bloodseal. 48's arms trembled in the air, almost like he was paralyzed.

"Quit your pathetic blubbering, you idiot!" The palm tree growled, stabbing 48's seal repeatedly and slowly. "You were trying to kill two of our most important _sacrifices! _And because of you, one of them is nearly dead already! Do you _understand _me!? You could've messed up the entire plan!" 48's arms seemed to bend awkwardly, before his entire body went limp. "What would we have done _then!? HUH!?_" The palm tree pulled out the sword and stepped over the armor, walking towards Edward to give him a look before heading over to Isabella. "Hey, you alive, shortie?"

Isabella could only grunt and let out a quiet, "Don't...call me...that..." The palm tree grinned at that before reaching down and slinging the injured girl over his shoulder. She cried out in pain.

"Hey, let her go!" Edward growled, forcing himself to stand. The woman cast him a bored glance, before smiling.

"Oh, don't worry. We don't plan on hurting her." The palm tree then stood beside the woman, in front of Edward who glared at them.

"Tell me who you people are! What plan are you talking about? What do you mean when you say "Important sacrifices"? What do you plan to do with me and Isabella?"

The palm tree leaned over to where his nose was barely touching Edward's, smirking. "Oh, my. The pipsqueak's raring to go-I think I made it angry." The brunette he had slung over his shoulder made a muffled noise of pain. Edward glared at him darkly.

"Don't call me "pipsqueak" again!"

"Then what would you prefer, eh, pipsqueak?" The man nearly dropped Isabella when he leaned back to dodge Edward's kick. He backed up and dropped the sword, alarmed. "Whoa now, there's no need to fight here! Someone might get hurt, you know? Besides, your friend here needs the hospital-"

Edward clapped his hands and growled, "This is a fight here that _you _started! So come on-" '

_CLANG!_

Edward blinked and looked down at his right arm as it gave out on him.

The woman asked dryly, "Technical difficulties?" Edward screamed in horror. His arm broke at the worst possible time! Winry was going to kill him!

The palm tree danced happily towards Edward, declaring, "Lucky me!" He gripped Edward's braid with his free hand and made him lean over, before kneeing him in the chest harshly. Edward was left dangling limp from the man's hold. The palm tree grinned at him, "You're fortunate that your arm's broken. If not for that, you wouldn't be getting off so easily." He released Edward's braid and the blonde fell to the floor.

The woman crossed her arms and said, "Listen to me well, boy, don't you ever forget this. Always remember we_ allowed_ you to _live_." She then commented, "We can't have them poking around this place again; it's too dangerous. It'll have to go...blow it up?"

* * *

Alphonse, Elizabeth, and Ross looked on in alarm when a man with green walked out of the exploding building with both Edward and Isabella slung over his shoulders. He was grinning, "There you are! I brought some presents for you!"

"Brother! Isabel!" Alphonse cried out and ran over, Elizabeth and Ross right behind him.

"Isabella! Edward!"

The palm tree set the two injured teens on the grass. He stood and placed his hands on his hips, offering a friendly smile, "The boy's not in danger, but he has lost a lot of the blood. I'd be more worried about the girl if I were you, for she received a dangerous blow to the stomach. You might wanna get them both to a hospital as a soon as you can. Also, you should really keep a better eye on them-stop them from taking all these crazy risks."

The man opened his purple eyes and saw Elizabeth kneeling down next to Isabella worriedly, and Alphonse doing the same with his brother. "They're _precious _resources." Ross looked up and demanded,

"But who are you?" Their gazes turned when Brosh ran over shouting,

"Lieutenant Ross, we need to go!" Ross demanded,

"Sergeant, help me with them!" Brosh stopped running and looked at the two teens in horror.

"What _happened_ to them!?"

"We'll talk later! And you should go too-" She cut herself off when she realized the man had disappeared. "What? He's gone!" More smoke gathered around when a giant piece of cement came off of the building and collapsed in front of them. They screamed.

Within moments they were running, with Edward on Brosh's back and Isabella in Alphonse's arms. The building was continuing to collapse behind them, and Barry's words echoed in Alphonse's mind as they ran.

_"Are you sure you're not a puppet created by your so-called brother?"_

* * *

"So things here at Central are pretty hectic," Hughes continued as talked to Roy, "The Senior Staff in charge of State Alchemists is shorthanded, thanks to Scar's killing spree."

_"Oh?" _Roy asked, Hughes almost hearing the interested smirk in Roy's voice.

"Rumor has it that a promotion to Central for one Colonel Roy Mustang isn't far off."

_"Central, huh? Not bad at all." _

Hughes smiled and warned, "Watch yourself, though. You can't move up the ladder as young as you are without making enemies."

_"I've been prepared for that from the start." _Roy responded. Hughes grew serious.

"Just a word of warning from someone who knows the game; You need as many hands on your side that you can get now, Colonel. Which means..." Roy waited, wanting to know what Hughes was going to advise him. Hughes whispered quickly, "Get yourself a wife!"

* * *

"SERIOUSLY!?" Roy shouted in irritation, slamming the phone down in his Office.

* * *

Hughes stood there in confusion, staring at the phone. "I don't get it...He hung up on me just like that."

The female receptionist finally snapped, glaring at him from her desk as she placed her book down, "Lieutenant Colonel! Stop making so many personal phone calls, okay?"

Hughes hit himself lightly in the head with phone, making a guilty face. "Oh...So sorry!" Suddenly the phone on the receptionists desk rang and the woman picked it up with an exasperated sigh.

"Hello?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, I see...Yes...I see...Yes, I'll tell him." Hughes was about to walk away after hanging the phone he was holding up, when the receptionist called out to him. "Lieutenant Colonel, there's a message from the hospital for you."

He looked at her curiously, furrowing his eyebrows together. "Yes, what is it?"

She paused for a moment, before telling him, "Your daughter is in the hospital and they said she might not make it. They said they need your consent to perform surgery on her."

Hughes froze. After a moment he told the receptionist, a dark shadow looming over his face, "Tell the boss I'm turning in early and tell them to _save her_." She wasn't even able to open her mouth to respond before he had already bolted out of the office.


End file.
